The 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' actor finally revealed the name of the perpetrator during his appearance on 'Good Morning America' on Wednesday, November 15.
- Nov 16, 2017
AceShowbiz - Terry Crews isn't holding back. After previously filing a police report over sexual assault he allegedly experienced "at a Hollywood function last year," the "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor finally revealed the name of the perpetrator during his appearance on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, November 15.
The actor revealed that the "high level Hollywood executive" who allegedly "groped" his privates was Adam Venit. "Back in February 2016, I was assaulted by Adam Venit, who is head of the motion picture department at William Morris Endeavor, one of the biggest agencies in the world, period," Crews told host Michael Strahan. "My wife and I were at an event with Adam Sandler--and the thing is, [Venit is] also Adam Sandler's agent, he's Sylvester Stallone's agent, he's Eddie Murphy's agent."
"He's connected to probably everyone I know in the business .. I did not know this man. I have never had a conversation with him, ever," the actor went on detailing. "I knew of him and I knew just because it's an agency thing. But the first time I actually had an interaction with him was at this event and I'm literally, I'm looking at him, and he's basically staring at me and he's sticking his tongue out-just overtly sexual tongue moves."
Crews continued saying that the whole situation was "so bizarre," adding, "He keeps coming over to me and I stick my hand out." However, Venit allegedly "literally takes his hand, and puts it, and squeezes my genitals." Crews added, "I jumped back, like 'Hey! Hey!' and he's still licking his tongue out, and all this stuff and I go, 'Dude, what are you doing? What are you doing?' " But Venit was said to come back again, and "he just won't stop."
"Then I really got forceful, pushed him back. He bumps into all the other party-goers and he starts giggling and laughing," Crews continued, adding that he "never felt more emasculated, more objectified" and "horrified." He revealed that he went to Sandler and said, "Adam, come get your boy! What is his problem?" Crews added that the "Jack and Jill" actor was equally confused by the situation.
Crews shared that he was very angry at the time. "When I looked at him, it was rage. And when I say rage, I felt like I could punch a hole in his head. But this is the deal, my wife told me three years earlier, 'Terry, you can never handle any situation like this with violence. You are a target. You can be baited and pulled.' If I would have just retaliated in defense, I would be under the jail right now and that's one thing I knew, being a large African American man in America, I would immediately be seen as a thug," he shared.
He added that his wife calmed him down in the car after they left the party. According to Crews, his wife repeatedly told him, "I'm proud of you."
Crews then opened up that being a victim of sexual harassment or assault is like being a "prisoner of war" and addressed victim-shaming issue in the society. "This is the thing that a lot of people just don't understand and they end up blaming the victim. And I totally said that I would not be shamed. I would not be shamed. I did nothing wrong. Nothing," he said.
Venit was suspended not long after Crews' allegation. Venit was placed on leave after being identified as the subject of Crews' account.
EXCLUSIVE: @TerryCrews speaks out; actor shares story of Hollywood harassment: https://t.co/JfBIpbGLMq pic.twitter.com/X8l4Bb1ZNU
— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 15, 2017
