Terry Crews says he was groped by a major Hollywood executive

Terry Crews.
(Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

On Twitter Tuesday, actor Terry Crews described an incident that took place last year, when an unnamed "high level Hollywood executive" groped him in front of his wife.

Crews said hearing about the allegations of sexual misconduct against producer Harvey Weinstein gave him "PTSD" because "the same kind of thing happened to me." While at a Hollywood function, the executive "came over to me and groped my privates," Crews tweeted. "Jumping back, I said, 'What are you doing?' My wife saw everything and we looked at him like he was crazy. He just grinned like a jerk." Crews said he wanted to "kick his ass," but knew the headlines would say "240-pound black man stomps out Hollywood honcho" and he thought he'd end up in jail.

Crews did not stay silent, though — he said he told everyone he knew that had worked with the man about what happened, and the executive called him and apologized "but never really explained why he did what he did." Crews decided not to take things further because he "didn't want to be ostracized — par for the course when the predator has power and influence. I let it go. And I understand why many women who this happens to let it go." Crews wants victims, both inside and outside of Hollywood, to know they are not alone. "Hopefully, me coming forward with my story will deter a predator and encourage someone who feels hopeless," he said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.