The hunt for a host continues. Chris Rock turned down an offer to host the 2023 Golden Globe Awards when they return to NBC in January, multiple outlets report.
According to The Puck, the comedian, 57, was offered a “s—t load” of money to host the award ceremony’s return to live television, but Rock decided against it. NBC Universal’s producers are now looking for a new name to emcee the 80th Golden Globes ahead of its Tuesday, January 10, airing on NBC and Peacock. The 2023 ceremony will mark a return to form for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association after the network refused to air to 2022 awards show amid allegations of discrimination.
In February 2021, the Los Angeles Times published an exposé detailing alleged misconduct and diversity issues in the HFPA. Following the bombshell report, many celebrities and industry professionals slammed the organization, particularly after it was revealed that the group didn’t have a single Black member amongst its ranks.
“Because we understand the urgency and issue of transparency, we will be continuously updating the members and the public as we move forward in making our organization more inclusive and diverse,” the HFPA said in a statement in May 2021, before NBC announced that they would not broadcast the 2022 ceremony. “We understand that the hard work starts now and we remain dedicated to becoming a better organization and an example of diversity, transparency, and accountability in the industry.”
The association listed their plans, including a promise to increase the HFPA’s membership by 50 percent over the next 18 months, “with a specific focus on recruiting Black members.” The organization also announced plans to hire a diversity, equality, and inclusion strategist and establish a committee of “racially and ethnically diverse members who will advise the Board and oversee critical organizational reform.”
Though nominations for the 2022 Golden Globes were announced in December 2021, the ceremony was held the following month without any celebrities or guests in attendance.
The 2023 Golden Globes aren’t the only awards show that Rock has reportedly declined to host. During an August stand-up show in Phoenix, Arizona, the Everybody Hates Chris creator joked about turning down an offer to helm the 2023 Academy Awards after he was slapped in the face by Will Smith at the 2022 ceremony. Rock also claimed that he declined an offer to appear in a Super Bowl commercial based on the altercation.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum, 53, slapped Rock in the face shortly before winning the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role during the March ceremony following a joke at Jada Pinkett Smith‘s expense. He publicly apologized for his actions the following day and resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences before late being banned from all Oscars events for the next decade.
In July, Smith issued another public apology to Rock, expressing remorse for his actions in a lengthy video. “I’ve spent the last three months replaying and understanding the nuances and the complexities of what happened in that moment,” the Philadelphia native said in a clip shared to Instagram at the time. “I’m not gonna try to unpack all of that right now. But I can say to all of you, there is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment. There’s no part of me that thinks that’s the optimal way to handle a feeling of disrespect or insults.”
He continued, “So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.”
