HFPA President Lorenzo Soria wrote Meryl Streep a delightful thank you note on Tuesday for her “defense of free expression” in her poignant and pointed speech during Sunday’s Golden Globes.
“We stand proudly behind our choice, and we applaud your 40 years of captivating work. You’re a class act, in and out of character,” Soria told the Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient in the email obtained by TheWrap.
Streep referenced President-Elect Donald Trump in her now-historic speech without even mentioning his name — prompting praise from Hollywood and criticism from conservatives.
“Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose,” Streep said in the live, nationally-televised acceptance of the honorary award.
The speech sparked a national conversation that has included MMA fighters, Hollywood cheerleaders, critiques of Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn’s sulk faces, and tweets from the president-elect himself.
Soria, the man whose organization gave Streep the stage, reached out to the star directly on Tuesday.
Read his full note below.
Dear Meryl,
Congratulations once again on being the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award recipient. We stand proudly behind our choice, and we applaud your 40 years of captivating work. You’re a class act, in and out of character.
As an organization of journalists, the HFPA stands by your defense of free expression and we reject any calls for censorship.
We thank you for your unwavering support for the arts.
With gratitude and respect,
Lorenzo Soria
President
Hollywood Foreign Press Association