Terry Crews says that his love for Black people is so deep that he’s willing to risk his career by sharing unpopular opinions.
The actor was a guest on Roland Martin’s daily web show “Unfiltered” in an interview that was published on YouTube Tuesday, June 30. Crews was on the show to address the intense backlash that he received after sending a tweet about Black Lives Matter.
“If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister,” Crews tweeted on the same day as his interview. “I have family of every race, creed and ideology. We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesn’t morph into #blacklivesbetter.”
Crews also talked with Martin about being criticized last January for not defending Gabrielle Union when asked about allegations that NBC did not to renew her contract at “America’s Got Talent” last year because she had complained to executives of discrimination and racist remarks on the set during her one season on the show. Crews already apologized to the actress twice for not sticking up for her.
“I love my people so much that I’m willing to risk it all,” Crews told Martin at the 11:46 mark before bringing up Hollywood agent Adam Venit, whom Crews accused of groping him at a party in 2016. “Everybody loves to say that he’s trying to please the white man. I took on Hollywood by myself two years ago. … I spent a half a million dollars of my money. I’m still waiting for them checks from anybody else who said they supported me because they didn’t.”
“I’ve risked it all once before,” he added. “I’d do it all again. I’ve been canceled for everything under the sun. I’ve been canceled for going to China by white men. I’ve been canceled by the LBGTQ community for talking about fatherhood. … This is the new day and era. You are going to be canceled.”
Crews was on the receiving end of even more backlash last month after tweeting a message about defeating white supremacy. In that message, he said if Blacks don’t use white allies to end white supremacy it could create “Black supremacy.”
“If you can’t reveal these things that are wrong we can never get better,” Crews told Martin. “The thing is, it’s not awww, look at that white man. No, look at this guy down the street who’s terrorizing your neighborhood. … I’m Black and I can call it. I can say things white people can’t say.”
He then spoke about Union, who filed a complaint last month with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing against NBC Universal Television, Fremantle Productions North America, and “AGT” co-creator Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment.
“I’m the wrong man to ask about ‘AGT,’ because I would do it for free,” said Crews. “I love it. I have the best time. … What I didn’t realize, as a man, I have privilege. … A big Black man on a set is going to be treated differently than a Black woman and I did not count that in. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. … I should have just said, ‘Ask Gabrielle.’”
