Actor Christian Keyes took to his Instagram Live with a jaw-dropping revelation about Hollywood power players offering him money and opportunity in return for sex. The actor expressed he was nervous about how much he should say, but was encouraged to speak his truth about some of the producers, directors and casting agents that people “deify.”
During the more than one-hour-long video, he said that he wanted to make a “declaration” of his experience in the industry with sexual harassment, broaching a conversation that needs to be had by men in his field but is swept under the carpet.
The actor cryptically says that there is someone in power who has been sexually harassing him for years that he has been turning down.
“He is claiming that he has multiple Black men on the payroll and that they had to show up when he requested them to be there,” he said. “Clearly, that’s why it felt like it was okay for him to say these things to me.”
As he talks about being transparent about the passes made toward him and the pressure he has experienced to succumb to the man’s advances, he also said he keeps trying his best to forgive him and move on.
“It happens. It’s not just women that have to deal with this; it happens to men sometimes. It will be men tempting men,” Keyes said.
He added that is a reason many of his posts on social media over the last few years have been about “taking the scenic route,” a phrase used to imply the long way to get somewhere. The fast way, he shared, would be him taking the men who have approached him up on their offers.
Keyes, who has started to write and produce his own projects, expressed that the priority for him is to maintain his “integrity” while navigating the predators in the industry that use their clout to exploit men desperate to rise to fame.
“I was broke as f—k. I am telling you, I would have loved that 100 grand, but I wasn’t going to sell my soul,” he said at one point in the video.
Keyes also recalled an instance when an unnamed Hollywood powerhouse attempted to sexually assault him while he was intoxicated and sleeping in the man’s guest room following a party.
“I’m sleep. I’m gone because I’m four, five Hennessys deep and this dude tries to climb into bed with [me],” said Keyes in his reveal. Keyes continued to say that he panicked and pushed the man out of the bed. The unknown person, whom Keyes said appeared apologetic, blamed his actions on the alcohol. Keyes felt it was best to go home and said when he reached for a handshake, the unnamed man attempted to reach for his genitals.
“You go to shake his hand on the way out and he tries to grab your d—k,” Keyes recalled. “He tries to shake and grab your equipment and you spazz even more.”
Keyes says that as he attempted to leave, the man reached for his “equipment” once more. “At that point, my only regret is not breaking multiple bones in this person’s face,” he said.
The “All The Queen’s Men” executive producer goes on to say he has carried a pen or key chain recorder since 2005 to document the harassment, saying he uses that because “most predators check your phone.”
“Once the sexual harassment started, I was like, I need to protect me because I am saying ‘No!’ and I don’t want this person as powerful as they are to try and get in the way of my work,” he said.
He also said he would not name names because it was not appropriate at this time.
Actor Dondré Whitfield commented on his post in agreement. The actor, who started as a child star on the ABC soap opera “All My Children,” agreed that this is a conversation that many don’t want to have.
“If we told y’all about your HEroes and SHEroes it would break y’all. Like they try to break us,” Whitfield said. “But now let’s see if our people have the same energy when MEN are the targets of sexual harassment, sexual intimidation and assault. Let’s see if we’re more interested in protecting the PEOPLE or celebrating the POWERFUL.”
Comments also came from his female colleagues.
Actress Elise Neal wrote, “My brother- I understand- and I completely am with u!! I’ve been in these situations and I’m proud of u! Like I’m proud of myself for always taking the long route- love ya.”
Multi-hyphenate Terri J. Vaughn, who worked with Keyes on the film “Love Me or Leave Me, commented, “Sending love, strength and positive healing energy your way brother!”
Several fans applauded Keyes for his bravery while others stayed away from the gossip and zeroed in on the harassment.
“You better get an EEOC Attorney if these alleged encounters,” the person wrote.
“Anything that happens in the workplace is sexual harassment and it’s a violation of employment law.”
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 38 person of women and 14 percent of men have reported experiencing sexual harassment at work. Additionally, 1 in 7 women and 1 in 17 men have sought a new job assignment, changed jobs, or resigned from a position due to sexual harassment and assault. Experts suggest that the actual number might be higher, considering that incidents involving men may be underreported to authorities.
