The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) has filed a $150 million lawsuit accusing Jay Penske, his company Penske Media Company (PMC), and other alleged co-conspirators of orchestrating a multi-year scheme to seize control of the Golden Globes. The lawsuit, filed in the Central District of California, claims anticompetitive conduct, fraud, and breaches of fiduciary duties aimed at consolidating power over Hollywood’s awards market and dismantling the HFPA.
Named as defendants alongside Penske and PMC are the non-profit Golden Globes Foundation and its CEO, Gregory Goeckner. The suit seeks to reverse the acquisition of the Golden Globes and expose what plaintiffs describe as unprecedented control by Penske Media over the industry's awards landscape.
Penske Media's holdings include the Golden Globes and numerous other awards shows, as well as trade publications that generate significant advertising revenue from studios promoting awards contenders. PMC also owns Gold Derby Media, an outlet focused on awards predictions, and Luminate, a data firm that measures eligibility statistics for awards. This extensive portfolio has led to accusations of monopolistic practices.
Allegations of Deception and Conflict of Interest
The lawsuit contends that Penske and Eldridge Industries CEO Todd Boehly, named as a co-conspirator, engaged in a deliberate plan to acquire the Globes. The HFPA alleges that Penske's involvement was intentionally concealed from its members during the acquisition process. Members reportedly believed they were selling to Boehly's Eldridge Industries alone, only learning of Penske's eventual control after the deal was finalized.
Furthermore, the suit claims that two other potential suitors for the Globes, Pacific Coast Entertainment and Appleby Ventures, were actively obstructed through misinformation and impossible deadlines. The HFPA alleges that its former president, Helen Hoehne, and former COO and general counsel Gregory Goeckner conspired with Boehly to favor the Penske/Boehly group. Hoehne now serves as president of the Golden Globes awards, and Goeckner is CEO of the Golden Globes Foundation.
Goeckner is specifically accused of legal malpractice for allegedly prioritizing Boehly/Penske over his own client, the HFPA. The suit claims he "induced" the HFPA treasurer to transfer approximately $4 million from reserve funds to the newly formed Golden Globes Foundation. Additionally, the terms of the Globes deal were allegedly altered post-closing to include a $27.5 million gift—all profits from the 2023 Golden Globes—to Eldridge, without board or member approval.
Context of the Golden Globes' Restructuring
The legal action follows a period of significant turmoil for the Golden Globes. In early 2021, the HFPA faced intense scrutiny and a publicist-led boycott over its lack of diversity, highlighted by a Los Angeles Times article. This controversy led to the awards being taken off the air for a year after their longtime broadcaster, NBC, canceled its contract. Tom Cruise famously returned his three Golden Globe trophies in protest.
Following the boycott, the Golden Globes were restructured as a for-profit entity. Todd Boehly took over as interim CEO of the reconstituted group, a role the lawsuit claims created an “irreconcilable conflict of interest” as he was already positioning his company, Eldridge Industries, to purchase the awards.
The Globes returned to television in 2023 and have aired on CBS since 2024.
Response to the Lawsuit
A spokesperson for the Golden Globes and Penske Media issued a strong rebuttal to the lawsuit. "The Golden Globes transaction closed more than three years ago and received all required approvals — any assertion that it did not close, or remains subject to reversal, is once again unequivocally false," the spokesperson stated. The statement characterized the lawsuit by former HFPA members as an "unfortunate distraction" aimed at securing Golden Globes tickets and diverting resources from charitable causes.
Representatives for Todd Boehly and Eldridge Industries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.