Actor Terry Crews: I was sexually assaulted by Hollywood executive

Actor and former NFL star Terry Crews has claimed he was the victim of a sexual assault by a “high-level Hollywood executive”, but did not retaliate or speak out over the incident for fear of being ostracised or sent to jail.

Crews, who played for teams including the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers and the Washington Redskins and appears in the sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, recounted the incident via a series of tweets.

The 49-year-old said he was prompted to share his story in the wake of the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandal. “This whole thing with Harvey Weinstein is giving me PTSD. Why? Because this kind of thing happened to ME,” he wrote.

Film producer Weinstein has been accused of sexual assault or harassment by multiple women, including Asia Argento, Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie. Weinstein denies some of the allegations and says all his relationships were “consensual”.

Crews described how, at an industry function in 2016, an unnamed executive groped his genitals in front of his wife and “grinned like a jerk” at the pair’s shocked response. He said that he was tempted to retaliate, but was worried how the incident would be reported and feared he would go to jail. “‘240 lbs. Black Man stomps out Hollywood Honcho’ would be the headline the next day,” he wrote.

Crews said the executive later called to apologise, but did not give a reason for his actions. Crews chose not to publicise the incident for fear of being ostracised. “Par [for] the course when the predator has power [and] influence”, he wrote.

The actor said his experience had helped him “understand and empathize with those who have remained silent”. “But Harvey Weinstein is not the only perpetrator,” he added. Crews also expressed hope that, by making his experience public, he would “deter a predator and encourage someone who feels hopeless”.