Back in October 2017 when Harvey Weinstein was embroiled in numerous allegations of sexual harassment and rape, actor Terry Crews was one of the first male celebrities to tell his story of sexual assault victimization. He said at the time:
Crews described how, at an industry function in 2016, an unnamed male executive groped his genitals in front of his wife and “grinned like a jerk” at the pair’s shocked response.He said that he was tempted to retaliate, but was worried how the incident would be reported and feared he would go to jail. “‘240 lbs. Black Man stomps out Hollywood Honcho’ would be the headline the next day,” .Crews said the executive later called to apologise, but did not give a reason for his actions. Crews chose not to publicise the incident for fear of being ostracised. “Par [for] the course when the predator has power [and] influence”, he wrote.
Crews later sued the man he accused, talent agent Adam Venit, along with William Morris Endeavor. While the case couldn’t go forward because the statute of limitations, WME ultimately settled the lawsuit in September of the following year. At the same time, Venit resigned from WME and sent an apology to the actor, who posted it publicly.
The former “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star’s story has featured prominently in the #MeToo movement, including his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2018.
Unfortunately, there are some in the entertainment industry – males in particular – who have mocked and joked about Crews’ story.
Crews is having none of it. USA Today reported:
Terry Crews is coming for all the celebrities who mocked his sexual assault, from comedian D.L. Hughley to rapper 50 Cent and others.The 50-year-old actor started off with Hughley and explained on Twitter that he used to look up to the comedian “as one of the funniest most talented people” but that Hughley is “now an example of when comedy turns to sarcasm and cynicism.”The “Original Kings of Comedy” star had appeared on VLAD TV last year and said that he couldn’t believe that Crews, “with all those muscles,” couldn’t tell his abuser “no.”
Here’s more from Crews’ Twitter feed:
That same USA Today report noted that, “Hughley, [record producer Russell] Simmons and [left wing activst Tariq] Nasheed all responded to Crews’ tweets, but only Simmons made an attempt at an apology.”
Crews is right to complain. Think about it: Actor Corey Feldman for years was on the record over and over again talking about sexual abuse against boys and men (by other men) in Hollywood, but few people believed him.
There’s a general misconception that guys can’t be victims of sexual assault because a) “they’re tougher”, b) the assault was “just horseplay”, and/or c) their physical strength will generally be equal or superior to that of a violent perpetrator, but the fact of the matter is sexual assault and rape against men and boys happens more often than you think, and the stigma in reporting it is appalling.
While it’s good that Crews has become a leading, respected voice shining a light on this once-taboo subject, it’s clear by the disrespectful and condescending treatment he gets from some of his entertainment biz colleagues that Hollywood still has a long way to go.
— Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym “Sister Toldjah” and can be reached via Twitter. —
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