LAST NIGHT, ACTOR Terry Crews sat before a US Senate committee and gave testimony of his experience with sexual assault at a hearing on proposed legislation for the Sexual Assault Survivors Bill of Rights.
The 46-year-old bravely came out and shared his story in the midst of the #MeToo movement back in October 2017. Last night, he retold his story. In his opening statement, Crews said:
The assault lasted only minutes, but what he was effectively telling me while he held my genitals in his hand, was that he held the power. That he was in control. This is how toxic masculinity permeates culture.
Terry was then asked why he didn’t attempt to fight back or push the assailant away by Senator Dianne Feinstein. Visibly emotional, Terry told her:
Senator… As a black man in America, you only have a few shots at success. You only have a few chances to make yourself a viable member of the community. I’m from Flint, Michigan. I have seen many, many young black men, who were provoked into violence. They were imprisoned, or they were killed.
Terry credited his wife Rebecca King-Crews for teaching him not to respond with anger.
My wife, for years, prepared me. She said, “If you ever get goaded, if you ever get prodded, if you ever have anyone try to push you into any kind of situation – don’t do it. Don’t be violent. She trained me, I’ll be honest with you.
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Crews added that his wife had always told him that if any situation began to escalate, they would simply leave, and not become violent.
The training worked, because I did not go into my first reaction. I grabbed her hand. We left.
The actor explained that the very next day, he got in touch with the agency and that he has texts to prove it.
I told them how I almost violent, but I didn’t and I said “What are you going to do about this predator that you have roaming your hallways?” And I was told, “We’re gonna do everything in our power. We’re gonna handle this Terry. You’re right, this is unacceptable.” And then, they disappeared.
Following the Senate hearing, 50 Cent took to Instagram to mock Terry Crews.
The rapper shared two photographs of Terry Crews – one where he was topless and flexing his muscles, and another where he had a rose placed between his teeth. Text over the photograph read “I got raped. My wife just watched.”
50 Cent then captioned the photograph “LOL, What the f**k is going on out here man? Terry: I froze in fear. They would have had to take me to jail. Get the strap.”
People on social media said that 50 Cent’s comments were “shameful, evil and spiteful.”
Shortly after 50 Cent’s comments were made, TMZ caught up with Terry Crews and informed him about the Instagram post. The actor said:
Well, I love 50 Cent. I listen to his music while I’m working out. [But] I prove that size doesn’t matter when it comes to sexual assault.
