Claims fraud and secret acquisition plan
LOS ANGELES — The members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which founded and owned the Golden Globe Awards for decades, have taken legal action against Penske Media Corporation. They claim that the company engaged in fraud to take over the prestigious awards ceremony – in an attempt to create a monopoly in the entertainment industry.
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The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California on Tuesday. It claims that Penske Media and owner Jay Penske collaborated with the holding company Eldridge Industries and its CEO Todd Boehly to create a boycott against the Golden Globes. The goal: to devalue the awards, take it over – and mislead the HFPA about a sale they were pressured to accept.
Furthermore, it is claimed that the scheme was intended to ensure “monopolistic control over Hollywood’s commercial, price, and advertising markets” – in violation of both state and federal unfair competition laws.
Hidden Penske’s involvement
The lawsuit alleges that Boehly and Eldridge deliberately hid Penske’s role in the 2023 deal from the HFPA board. According to the plaintiffs, the board would never have approved the deal if they had known about Penske’s real influence.
Penske Media currently owns a number of major players in the industry, including Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Billboard and Dick Clark Productions – the latter producing several award ceremonies, including the American Music Awards. Now they are also part-owners of the Golden Globes.
Promises of lifetime tickets – broken
The lawsuit alleges that the HFPA members were promised lifetime tickets to the Golden Globes, voting rights, and other benefits. Penske is said to have broken these promises by adding untenable conditions. In addition, it is claimed that the buyers infiltrated HFPA management to get the deal done.
The Golden Globes’ current owners deny all accusations. In a statement, they describe the lawsuit as:
Turbulent times for the Golden Globes
The Golden Globes have long been considered the glitzy, champagne-filled opening of Hollywood’s awards season. But the 2020s have been anything but calm.
In 2021, a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that the group had only one black member. It sparked public protests and a boycott that led to NBC refusing to air the awards ceremony in 2022.
The lawsuit now alleges that Boehly and Penske secretly incited the boycott – and used Penske’s own publications to push it forward.
After the acquisition and reorganization in 2023, the show got a new platform at CBS.
Boehly not named – but central to the case
Todd Boehly, who is also a co-owner of Chelsea FC and the Los Angeles Dodgers, was not named as a defendant – nor was his Eldridge Industries. The reason is unclear, and the plaintiffs did not want to comment on the case.
The lawsuit nevertheless alleges that Penske and Boehly manipulated California’s nonprofit laws. The Golden Globe Foundation – which was established as the successor to the HFPA’s philanthropic department – is said to have been used to push down the price of the acquisition. According to the lawsuit, the foundation serves as a de facto extension of the commercial entity established by Penske and Boehly.
Demand for $150 million
The Golden Globes’ current owners respond by characterizing the lawsuit as a new low:
The statement concludes:
The lawsuit seeks at least $150 million in damages – and asks the court to cancel the agreement to dissolve the HFPA.
The case is far from over. What started as a glamorous awards ceremony has evolved into a harrowing legal drama with accusations of fraud, power games and hidden agendas.
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