Golden Globes Weekend Kicks Off With Alleged Hollywood Drama War

As Hollywood gears up for one of its most glamorous weekends, tensions are boiling over behind the scenes at the Golden Globes.

Hollywood’s brightest stars are set to shine at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 5, as they come together to honor the past year’s standout achievements in film and television. Among the night’s celebrated nominees are Ariana Grande, Colin Farrell, Zendaya, Jake Gyllenhaal, Selena Gomez, Keira Knightley, Sebastian Stan, Kristen Bell, Glen Powell, Adam Brody, and Sofia Vergara.

The Golden Globes, organized annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, has faced its share of controversies in recent years but remains one of the most anticipated nights in entertainment.

According to Page Six, a bitter war is raging between the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA)—the organization that founded the iconic awards show nearly 80 years ago—and its new owners, Eldridge Industries, led by Chelsea F.C. owner Todd Boehly.

The core of the conflict? Many legacy members of the HFPA have reportedly been shut out of Sunday’s star-studded ceremony, where A-listers like Angelina Jolie, Timothée Chalamet, and Demi Moore are expected to mingle and celebrate.

Founded in 1943 as a non-profit by international entertainment journalists, the HFPA launched the Golden Globes a year later, eventually turning it into one of Hollywood’s most prestigious awards shows. However, two years ago, Eldridge Industries restructured the organization, splitting it into two entities: a for-profit arm responsible for running the Golden Globes ceremony and a non-profit arm that maintained the HFPA’s charitable functions.

As part of the restructuring deal, 66 “legacy members” of the HFPA were reportedly promised annual salaries of $75,000 for five years, health insurance, lifetime voting rights for the Globes, and other benefits. Members also claim they were promised four tickets each to the annual event. However, Eldridge sources dispute this, saying tickets were never part of the agreement. According to HFPA members, the ticket clause was included in an addendum, separate from the main terms.

The situation escalated when 11 salaried legacy members were abruptly removed from their roles, causing unrest within the HFPA ranks. Now, many of those remaining members feel sidelined from their own creation.

In previous years, HFPA members enjoyed prime seating in the Beverly Hilton ballroom alongside Hollywood’s biggest stars. This year, however, sources claim that approximately 50 members received invitations—on Friday, just one day before the event—to attend a “viewing party” in a separate function room at the hotel. Essentially, these founding members will be watching the glitzy affair on television screens rather than experiencing it firsthand.

The sudden and limited invitation has only deepened the divide, leaving legacy members feeling like outsiders at an event they helped build. What was once a symbol of HFPA prestige and influence now seems to have become a glaring representation of power struggles and corporate restructuring gone sour.

As the cameras roll on Sunday and the stars dazzle on stage, the real drama might not be playing out in the ballroom—but in the tensions simmering behind closed doors. One thing’s for certain: the fallout from this Hollywood power struggle won’t fade when the credits roll.

After last year’s hosting debacle with comedian Jo Koy, which left many viewers questioning whether the show should even have a host in the future, the Golden Globes are heading in a bold new direction. This year, Emmy-nominated stand-up comedian Nikki Glaser will take center stage as the event’s master of ceremonies.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Golden Globes,” she said in a statement, per Vogue. “It’s one of my favorite nights of television and now I get a front row seat. The Golden Globes is not only a huge night for TV and film, but also for comedy. It’s one of the few times that show business not only allows, but encourages itself to be lovingly mocked (at least I hope so). (God I hope so.)”

“It’s an exciting, yet challenging gig because it’s live, unpredictable, and in front of Hollywood’s biggest stars (who also might be getting wasted while seated next to their recent exes),” she continued. “Some of my favorite jokes of all time have come from past Golden Globes opening monologues when Tina, Amy or Ricky have said exactly what we all didn’t know we desperately needed to hear. I just hope to continue in that time honored tradition (that might also get me cancelled). This is truly a dream job.”

The 2025 Golden Globes are taking place on Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 8 p.m. EST.