Terry Crews has publicly named Adam Venit as the Hollywood exec who he alleges groped him at a party in 2016.
Actor Terry Crews has publicly named the TV executive who allegedly groped him, saying that he had “never felt more emasculated” after the incident.
Appearing in a new television interview, the ‘Brooklyn Nine Nine’ star followed up on his public promise to name his alleged assaulter also took the opportunity to explore societal expectations and gender roles that he feels might deter men from speaking up when they are victims of sexual misconduct or assault.
“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,” the 49 year old actor stated live on Wednesday’s edition of ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ (November 15th).
Terry Crews
“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.”
Speaking about the wider wave of sexual misconduct allegations being levelled against powerful men in Hollywood, Crews said he could identify with the main reason being cited as to why these women and men did not come forward sooner – fear of retaliation.
“He is privy to all the studio heads who hire me,” Crews explained. "Who's to say he couldn't poison that?”
“It's like you're a prisoner of war,” the former NFL player said of the incident, which took place at a party in Hollywood that he and his wife attended in 2016. “I've never felt more emasculated, objectified.”
“He takes my right hand and under mine, and immediately squeezes, grabs my genitals,” Crews told the interviewer about what happened. “I slap his hand away and pushed him back more forcefully.”
Crews says that, having told Adam Sandler (the honoured guest at the party) while leaving, Venit called him the next day to apologise for his actions, but that he did not feel he was being sincere. “I got a call, it's him on the line, 'I'm sorry, I was drunk, I wasn't myself that night’… [but] it's like when people are sorry because they got caught.”
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