Actor Terry Crews Opens Up About Sexual Assault Experience

It all started out with a tweet Terry Crews wrote about his experience with sexual assault in the hands of an unnamed person in the film industry when the accusations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein came to light.

Now, the actor has spoken out and named his assailant.

Speaking to Michael Strahan of Good Morning America, Crews said he had never felt as emasculated and objectified as he had in the hands of Adam Venit, head of WME’s motion picture group.

Last week, he filed a report with the police on the event took place in February 2016.

He wrote:

“In February 2016, I was assaulted by Adam Venit, who is the head of the motion picture department of the William Morris Endeavor.”

Crews went on to describe the assault, saying he was groped by Venit. He said:

“I’m looking at him and he’s basically staring at me and he’s sticking his tongue out. Just overtly sexual kind of tongue moves. It’s a party, it’s packed, the whole thing.

And I’m looking like, ‘Is this a joke? I don’t understand.’ It was actually so bizarre. And he keeps coming over to me. I stick my hand out and he literally takes his hand “and puts it, squeezes my genitals. And I jump back like, ‘Hey, hey!’ … I go, ‘Dude, what are you doing?’”

It was his first time meeting Venit, who represents a host of high profile clients including Adam Sandler, Emma Stone, and Eddie Murphy.

The assault didn’t end even after Crews jumped back. Venit returned. Crews continued:

“And then he comes back again and he just won’t stop. And then I really got forceful, pushed him back, he bumps into all the other partygoers and he starts giggling and laughing.

I have never felt more emasculated, more objectified. I was horrified. I went over to Adam (Sandler) right then and there and said, ‘Man, come get your boy. What is his problem?’”

Even Sandler looked like he didn’t understand, he said, because it was “bizarre to both of us.”

He said he had to speak about it and report to the police because he had an example to set for his kids. He said:

What kind of man would I be to tell my kids, ‘If someone touches you where you don’t want to, tell someone,’ if I’m not doing it myself?

This goes to show that sexual assault could happen to anyone, regardless of age, status or gender. It is a virus that needs to be curbed. This video could encourage victims of sexual assault to speak up about their experiences and for us all to fight against it.