Ellen Pompeo Calls Out the HFPA's "Unacceptable" Lack of Diversity

Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank, Getty Images

Ellen Pompeo is frankly fed up with the inequality in Hollywood. In a post to Instagram yesterday, Pompeo called out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the governing body behind the Golden Globe Awards, for having a "membership equity issue," which she calls unacceptable.

In fact, the HFPA is so imbalanced in terms of diversity that there are no Black members at all, something the LA Times revealed in a February 21st story. Of the 87 members of the HFPA, none of the members are Black, and Pompeo wants her white colleagues to "pull up, show up and get this issue resolved."

Pompeo also wrote on Instagram that she's well aware of her white privilege and wants to do better. "There is a solution here and I have faith that we can find it. What we can not do… is leave this problem up to the black community and all our communities of color to fix. This is not their problem, it's ours."

While the HFPA responded to the LA Times' callout for the lack of diversity, saying they "need to bring in Black members," the stars in Hollywood are waiting to see that come to fruition. Many stars have shared a Time's Up post on Instagram reminding everyone of this inequality. Among them are This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown, Kerry Washington, and Amy Schumer.

This is far from the first time Hollywood has been called out for a lack of diversity—especially when it comes to award shows. The #OscarsSoWhite hashtag started with the 2015 ceremony and carried over into 2016 when the nominees were all blindingly white. While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a statement in early 2016 that changes were coming, the diversity is still an ongoing issue.

The HFPA made a statement at the 2021 Golden Globes ceremony that change is coming, with three members of the association taking the stage to speak. Together they shared, "On behalf of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, thank you for joining us. Tonight, while we celebrate the work of artists from around the globe, we recognize we have our own work to do. Just like in film and television, Black representation is vital. We must have Black journalists in our organization. We must also ensure everyone from all underrepresented communities gets a seat at our table, and we are going to make that happen. That means creating an environment where a diverse membership is the norm, not the exception. Thank you, and we look forward to a more inclusive future."