Members of the Hollywood Foreign Press, which founded and for decades owned the Golden Globe Awards, have sued Penske Media Corporation and others, alleging they engaged in fraud to acquire the valuable awards show in an attempt to create an entertainment industry monopoly.

Details of the Lawsuit

The lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges that Penske Media and owner Jay Penske colluded with holding company Eldridge Industries and its CEO Todd Boehly to fuel a backlash and boycott against the Globes to devalue it and acquire it, and to deceive the HFPA about a sale they were pressured into accepting.

The lawsuit seeks at least $150 million in damages and asks the court to cancel the agreement to dissolve the HFPA. It alleges Boehly and Eldridge hid the involvement of Penske in the 2023 deal from the HFPA board, which never would have approved it if they had known of it.

Penske Media’s assets include Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Dick Clark Productions, which owns or produces several awards shows including the American Music Awards and is now part owner of the Globes.

A representative of the Golden Globes’ current owners said in a statement that the lawsuit “continues the absurdity and irrationality that the industry has come to expect from the defunct organization formerly known as the HFPA.”

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.