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Here’s Why Terry Crews Compares Hollywood To A ‘Slave Plantation’

The actor also speaks on being shamed after coming forward with his sexual assault confession.

Terry Crews shocked the Hollywood industry and the world at large when he boldly posted a series of tweets detailing his experience of being sexually assaulted by influential Hollywood agent Adam Venit.

Since his tweets went viral, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star received a fairly unsupportive response from the community and ultimately saw the Los Angeles District Attorney reject his case. In a feature with BuzzFeed News, the actor is now speaking out for the first time since the decision, and he's shining a light on the parts of Hollywood the general public seldom see.

Speaking on the moments leading up to him sharing the bombshell with the world, Crews said he refraining from telling anyone in his circle about his plans — he just went for it, solo.

"I didn't call my publicist, I didn't call my friends, I didn't call my manager, I didn't call my wife," he said. "I just started tweeting."

While his bravery was applauded and honored by many, as expected, he received his fair share of detractors and trolls who aimed to lessen his comments and intentions. However, he stressed that this moment needed to happen, even making a bold statement of what the entire ordeal ultimately means to him as an actor.

"I understand masculinity," he said. "My years in the NFL, years out here, all this stuff, years in the hood, you get it. And you know how wrong it is. I can't be silent. I feel like my whole career was basically for this moment."

This moment he describes saw him expose Venit, an alleged sexual predator, in the walls of an industry that is now being further exposed for housing several others of his kind. In fact, Crews elaborated on this toxic nature that runs rampant in the Hollywood community.

"People don't understand that Hollywood is a very violent place," he continued. "The best way to put it is that it's like a plantation... They cut your head off so the next person doesn't speak."

This graphically real analogy ideally sums up how some of his peers viewed his situation. However, he mentioned that he eventually managed to find peace after the dust settled.

"[They] shame you so you feel like you gotta hide in the house," he said. "[But] once you get rid of shame, you get to step off the slave plantation. And I get to be here. This is a good thing."

Read Terry Crews' full, in-depth interview, here.

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