A toxic sense of entitlement will do strange things to a person. You wouldn’t necessarily think of 6’3″, 200-pound actor Terry Crews as likely target of sexual assault, but his story goes to show that anybody can be taken advantage of at any time.
On Tuesday, the actor posted a series of sixteen tweets describing an incident between himself and a Hollywood executive, who indeed took advantage of Crews and somehow didn’t get pummeled into a steaming pile of vaguely humanoid mush.
Terry Crews is 6’3″ and well over 200 pounds of pure muscle. As funny and friendly as the actor seems, it’s really hard to imagine anyone ever putting their hands on Crews without his permission and surviving the encounter.
Here’s his story:
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This whole thing with Harvey Weinstein is giving me PTSD. Why? Because this kind of thing happened to ME. (1/Cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
My wife n I were at a Hollywood function last year n a high level Hollywood executive came over 2 me and groped my privates. (2/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
Jumping back I said What are you doing?! My wife saw everything n we looked at him like he was crazy. He just grinned like a jerk. (3/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
I was going to kick his ass right then— but I thought twice about how the whole thing would appear. (4/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
“240 lbs. Black Man stomps out Hollywood Honcho” would be the headline the next day. (5/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
Only I probably wouldn’t have been able to read it because I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN JAIL. So we left.
(6/cont.)— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
That night and the next day I talked to everyone I knew that worked with him about what happened. (7/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
He called me the next day with an apology but never really explained why he did what he did. (8/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
I decided not 2 take it further becuz I didn’t want 2b ostracized— par 4 the course when the predator has power n influence. (9/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
I let it go. And I understand why many women who this happens to let it go. (10/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
Who’s going 2 believe you? ( few) What r the repercussions?(many) Do u want 2 work again? (Yes) R you prepared 2b ostracized?(No)(11/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
I love what I do. But it’s a shame and the height of disappointment when someone tries to takes advantage of that. (12/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
He knows who he is. But sumtimes Uhav2 wait & compare notes w/ others who’ve been victimized in order 2gain a position of strength. (13cont)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
I understand and empathize with those who have remained silent. But Harvey Weinstein is not the only perpetrator. (14/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
Hollywood is not the only business we’re this happens, and to the casualties of this behavior— you are not alone. (15/cont.)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
Hopefully, me coming forward with my story will deter a predator and encourage someone who feels hopeless. (16/end)
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) October 10, 2017
As he explains, the exec eventually called to apologize but never bothered to explain his actions. So, as these things almost always go, the former NFL star decided to “let it go.”
“I understand why many women who this happens to let it go,” he tweeted.
“Who’s going 2 believe you? ( few) What r the repercussions?(many) Do u want 2 work again? (Yes) R you prepared 2b ostracized?(No)”
Plenty of people in his industry and out have applauded Crews for coming forward with his story:
Re @terrycrews, note how racism serves same function as sexism: ensuring silence. Black man can’t fight back, won’t be believed.
— Kate Harding (@KateHarding) October 10, 2017
Thank you, @terrycrews. For anyone that asked, “what took them so long to come forward?” Please read below. https://t.co/zRWhW43Dz1
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 11, 2017
Terry Crews' comments are so important because we also don't talk about men who face sexual harassment and abuse by powerful men.
— Ira Madison III (@ira) October 10, 2017
Thanks @terrycrews for this thread. Hopefully it makes others brave, regardless of their gender.
People. Are. Not. Things. https://t.co/zRvSLFcN6N
— Aisha Tyler (@aishatyler) October 11, 2017
Related: Man recounts violent sexual assault after waking up from an overdose at a party
Bob LaBlah
I have my reservations about the accuracy of Crews’ version of events. Three or four million dollars per movie sounds like a good incentive to ignore your size, muscle and instinct to floor the guy and simply let the man drop to his knees in front of him and do his “dirt”.
ChrisK
Has anyone seen how crews dresses. Tight jeans and a tee shirt is his regular attire. What did he expect.
Jack Meoff
OMG is that the Donna Karan defence for men
decampbell
Your going to victim shame? “He dresses a certain way, so he had it coming?” That’s pathetic.
Caine
Sorry – I don’t this encounter is anywhere near what the ladies are reporting with Harvey Weinstein. A guy grabbed your crotch while your wife is standing there at a public event? Who cares?
Kangol
You care because it’s a violation! He didn’t want that creep grabbing his crotch. What is wrong with you that you don’t see that?
thomas prentice
James Baldwin describes the same sort of experience, but with a politically powerful white southern segregationist in the 1960s when Baldwin was on a reporting trip through the south. The powerful white segregationist had ACTUAL life-or-death power over Baldwin’s black friends and their friends and relatives in the area, in prison, and so Baldwin acquiesced in the drunken white segregationist’s desire to give Baldwin a blow job in a crowded (straight) bar.
Donston
You all sound incredibly insensitive. Yes, I do have somewhat of a side-eye for a lot of these actors who get into the dirty game of Hollywood and then cry about it later. Very few of them, unless they start off as child performers, aren’t aware of the many games before entering. And if they don’t know they quickly find out. (I have the same issue with many actors who claim coming out stumbled their careers or they were told to stay closeted. When their careers were promising or stable they said or did nothing about it). However, being harassed, exploited or sexually assaulted in any way is unacceptable, no matter the gender and especially if it’s coming from someone with authority.
o.codone
The psychiatrist at work insisted on sucking the mental health worker, but never threatened him with his job. Getting fired was implied, so the kid pulled it out every time. This went on for a year. The mental health worker DID have a monster, and you could see the flopping and commando action, so he was kinda advertising, but the kid said he wanted it to stop. After cumming in the doctor’s mouth, probably about 100 times, the kid said no more. Within a week he WAS fired allegedly for stealing drugs. If the kid sued for harassment the doctor would call the DEA. The whole thing just faded. The psychiatrist wasn’t a creep or anything, but he was determined to suck that kid’s cum every chance he got. And he did.
Kangol
He was a creep if he was using his power over an employee to compel sex from him, and when the employee tried to stop it, he fired him. Textbook sexual harassment.
o.codone
Kangol. Point taken.
DCguy
So name him or shut up.
Justin202
Terry is the nicest guy and such an ally. Legitimately ashamed of our community reading these comments.
Xzamilloh
Oh, shut the hell up… “our community”… it’s a dozen comments on Queerty by users not using their real name or picture. That’s hardly a community. Be legitimately ashamed of sexual predators and their enablers, but virtue signaling to make yourself seem pious and above it all? Go on Twitter and go thread it….
Justin202
You’re so right. We should all be fine with people commenting that he was asking for this because of what he wears, or that he should shut up. You’re totally right that we should tolaerate those idiotic comments and not speak out against them.
Sorry, you were saying something about enablers?
Xzamilloh
I sure as hell wasn’t saying something about being fine with people commenting that he was asking for it and all that other crap your dyslexia seems to have attributed to me. Let me say it again: it’s stupid to be ashamed of “our community” based on a few Queerty commenters… only a complete moron would read these stupid comments and gather an opinion about “our community.” This not “our community,” genius… it’s the Queerty comment section. If you’re looking for quality, comment sections are not where you are going to find it, so ONCE AGAIN, save your shame for the actual sexual predators and their enablers, not for a comment section. Or do… who cares? You’re not changing anything in the world.
Xzamilloh
I sure as hell wasn’t saying something about being fine with people commenting that Terry Crews was asking for it and all that other crap your dyslexia seems to have attributed to me. Let me say it again: it’s stupid to be ashamed of “our community” based on a few Queerty commenters… only a complete moron would read these stupid comments and gather an opinion about “our community.” This not “our community,” genius… it’s the Queerty comment section. If you’re looking for quality, comment sections are not where you are going to find it and it’s just dumb to waste your anger on anonymous people, including me.
He BGB
I don’t think there were witnesses with most of the women and Harvey? He had witnesses.! I just don’t see it as the same thing. I remember when some fan grabbed Tim McGraw’s,stuff walking off or on stage and Faith Hill also on stage fumed that it was HERS! Hands off!
Paco
When did it become appropriate social behavior to sexually grope people without permission? I hope he names and shames the person.
decampbell
About the time Trump got elected.
And it’s got to stop.
Jaxton
Notice how most of these women waited many years to go public with their so-called harassment claims. I don’t believe most of them.
If you wait many years, it shows that you are stupid, weak or that you went along with the harassment for personal financial gain. Any of those options reflects poorly on you as a woman.
Donston
Dude, it’s already been proven to be legit. Weinstein has admitted as such and has been caught on tape. So, find other means to indulge your misogynistic instincts. Its also funny how you didn’t actually comment on Terry’s claims, which is what the article is about.
davidjohng
What about gay men who do this to other gay men? And not necessary limited to show business. When I read about Harvey Weinstein’s pathetic antics it felt familiar like isn’t this the way so gay men feel entitled to treat gay men as if they sexual harassment is alright if it’s another gay man? As if because we’re share a sexual orientation that means you can sexualize a situation or you can assume all gay men are interested in sex anywhere. Until recently many states would not recognize the possibility of same-sex sexual harassment though they did heteros (and some probably still do). So there was no legal recourse for gay men. Gay men need to start speaking up and start taking advantage of our recent inclusion into sexual harassment laws or just HR.
Blackceo
Some of the comments Jesus Christ SMH. Somehow, some way, the victim’s story seems to be questioned or fault lying with them. He’s absolutely right about what the headlines would’ve been had he decked the guy. Black actor Terry Crews physically attacks well known Hollywood exec or some crap like that. I believe him totally. I’m also wondering if it was David Geffen, although he seems to like twinks but White men sexualize Black men’s bodies the same way slave owners did back in the day. I know thats a bit heavy for some of y’all in this bunch so…I digress.
Kieran
“….but White men sexualize Black men’s bodies the same way slave owners did back in the day. ”
Further proof that yes indeed, Blacks can be just as racist as anybody else.
Kangol
I’m with you. It’s nuts. Terry Crews was sexually assaulted, with his wife witnessing it. He confronted the guy, nonviolently, and the creep just smiled, because he knew he could get away with. Crews made very clear why he didn’t punch the man out. He’s up against a very powerful person in a very powerful industry system that can determine whether he ever works again in that industry. He wasn’t trying to downplay what women go through, which is extremely horrible, but to show that it happens to men to. What is so hard for people to understand about this?
mhoffman953
Odd that so many people on here are acting like Terry Crew’s story isn’t a big deal. Based on everything he wrote and the fact that he stated his wife was present and saw it, makes me believe it’s credible. That doesn’t mean that many people don’t make up these sorts of things because many times they do for whatever reason whether it be for attention, money, or revenge. However, I don’t see that being the case here.
Hollywood is a sleazy industry where many people have to put out and endure sexual abuse to be famous. I would read rumors online for years about Harvey Weinstein groping women. If people online knew, I guarantee that anyone in-the-know in Hollywood knew too but accepted it as typical Hollywood behavior.
I think it’s time the DOJ and FBI begin investigating Hollywood and its culture of sexual abuse.
Kangol
You do realize that the president you adore, Donald J. Trump, has been repeatedly accused of rape, sexual abuse, sexually inappropriate touching, hanging around in dressing rooms with adolescent girls, disturbing comments about dating his own daughter, etc.
We’re not talking about some rando on the street or Weinstein (who should have been stopped years ago by those who knew about his vile, abusive behavior), but the President of the United States. Who you defend, right?
So if we’re going to investigate Hollywood and “its culture of sexual abuse,” Trump should also be investigated by the DOJ and FBI. Oh wait, the FBI is already on him “like a b*tch,” to quote that infamous Access Hollywood tape of his.
mhoffman953
@Kangol
There is a difference there. The accusations about President Trump only arose just a few weeks before the election from women that never went to the police or reported it to anyone else. Don’t you find that strange or convenient? In the Weinstein story, there were women who went immediately to the police in the past, where in one case the police even had a woman wear a wire to record a potential sexual assault on tape where there already was a criminal investigation. There are even many actresses who are coming out now stating who they confided in with one example being Rose McGawen and Ben Affleck which is coming to light to corroborate her story. Plus there have been rumors for years about Harvey Weinstein exposing himself and forcing himself on women. The accusations about Trump only started weeks before the election and there never were prior alleged rumors about his behavior.
Plus, if Trump really did rape and sexually abuse these women, where are they now? Why wouldn’t they take him to court? You can’t say it’s because they’re afraid of him because just put on TV and see how the President is bashed by everyone in entertainment, they aren’t afraid of him. Trump may make lewd comments but if there was actual evidence of any real rape or sexual abuse, you know his enemies would try to use it to impeach him but they aren’t, so what’s that tell you?
You seem to want to deflect and make this story about Trump (seems like everyone wants to make every story about Trump) somehow when the issue here is the culture of abuse in Hollywood. People from Shirley Temple to Judy Garland even have been on record as saying this happened in Hollywood back when their careers started.
The DOJ and FBI investigate all other areas from academia, the army, to private businesses when it comes to cultures of sexual abuse but Hollywood always seems to be hands off. You would think with the stories from women, men, and underage children who have attested to providing extremely detailed accounts of being raped, drugged, or sexually abused throughout the past nearly 100 years in Hollywood that this would at least be investigated at some point.
Jack Meoff
I take my hat of to Terry Crews for the way he handled himself in this situation AND for having the courage to speak out about it. I hope that it is a wake up call for whoever the perpetrator was before he becomes another Harvey Weinstein with decades worth of sexual harassment waiting to be unveiled and ruin his life. I hope Terry takes pride in his own courage and that he has some awesome people on his side in this matter if it comes to a head.