Terry Crews leaks email from Russell Simmons in wake of new sexual assault allegations: 'Give the agent a pass'
Crews gained headlines for claiming he was groped by a 'high level Hollywood executive' at an event he attended with his wife
Terry Crews has condemned a producer for urging him to give the target of his sexual assault allegations "a pass".
Crews, a former NFL player who currently plays the role of a police sergeant on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, gained headlines last month for claiming the Harvey Weinstein allegations were giving him PTSD because he was groped by a “high level Hollywood executive” during an event he attended with his wife last year.
The actor, who has appeared in films such as White Chicks and Idiocracy, later identified the exec as Adam Venit - an agent at William Morris Endeavor (WME).
Mr Venit, whose client list reportedly included actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Emma Stone, Adam Sandler, and Liam Hemsworth, is currently on leave of absence over the allegations.
Crews has now shared a screenshot of what he claims is an email from Russell Simmons – the hip hop mogul who co-founded Def Jam Recordings.
“Give the agent a pass, ask that he be reinstated,” reads the email.
The leaked email from Simmons comes on the same day the millionaire producer was publicly accused of sexual assault himself.
Simmons, 60, has been accused of coercing model Keri Claussen Khalighi in 1991 when she 17 into performing oral sex on him while his former protege Brett Ratner watched.
“I looked over at Brett and said ‘help me’ and I’ll never forget the look on his face,” she told The LA Times.
His lawyer, Martin Singer, told the publication Ratner has "no recollection" of Khalighi's apparent plea for help.
Simmons has denied the allegations and claimed everything which took place between himself and Khalighi was completely consensual and happened with her "full participation".
"I'm deeply saddened and truly shocked to learn of Keri's assertions as to what happened over the course of that weekend," Simmons said in a statement on his Twitter page.
He did not comment on the email he appears to have sent Crews in his lengthy statement.
Crews filed a report with the Los Angeles Police Department at the beginning of the month after coming forward to alleged he was groped by an entertainment executive.
"My wife n I were at a Hollywood function last year n a high level Hollywood executive came over 2 me and groped by privates," the 49-year-old tweeted in October. "My wife saw everything n we looked at him like he was crazy. He just grinned like a jerk."
"I was going to kick his ass right then - but I thought twice about how the whole thing would appear," he added. "'249lbs. Black Man stomps out Hollywood Honcho' would be the headline the next day. Only I probably wouldn't have been able to read it because I would have been in jail. So we left."
Crews said he decided to share the story to “deter predators” and be a source of hope for others in similar situations. He said the incident made him realise why women choose not to speak up when they are subject to harassment.
Crews also addressed the issue on Good Morning America last week and admitted he experienced post-traumatic stress syndrome as a result.
“I’ve never felt more emasculated, more objectified. I was horrified,” he said. “I will not be shamed. I did nothing wrong. It was foul to the core, and it still shocks me.”
27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018
27 films to look out for in the first half of 2018
1/27 Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman
2/27 The Greatest Showman
Director: Michael Gracey
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya,
3/27 Darkest Hour
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn
4/27 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones >
5/27 Coco
Director: Lee Unkrich ,p>Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renée Victor
6/27 Downsizing
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast:
Matt Damon, Christopher Waltz, Jong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis
7/27 Early Man
Director: Nick Park
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall
8/27 Fifty Shades Freed
Director: James Foley
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Kim Basinger
9/27 Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen
10/27 The Shape of Water
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones
11/27 Annihilation
Director: Alex Garland
Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Lee, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac
12/27 Dark River
Director: Clio Barnard
Cast: Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, Sean Bean
13/27 Red Sparrow
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons
14/27 Tomb Raider
Director: Roar Uthaug
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Dominic West,
15/27 A Wrinkle in Time
Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis
16/27 Pacific Rim: Uprising
Director: Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman
17/27 Roman J Israel, Esq
Director: Dan Gilroy
Cast: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo
18/27 Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson
19/27 Ready Player One
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg
20/27 Avengers: Infinity War
Director: The Russo Brothers
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin
21/27 Untitled Han Solo Film
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover
22/27 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Director: J.A. Bayona
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pine, B.D. Wong, Toby Jones
23/27 Deadpool 2
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Zazie Beetz, Josh Brolin
24/27 Ocean's 8
Director: Gary Ross
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Munn, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Matt Damon
25/27 Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer
26/27 Soldado
Director: Stefano Sollima
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener, Matthew Modine
27/27 The Incredibles 2
Director: Brad Bird
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson
1/27 Black Panther
Director: Ryan Coogler
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman
2/27 The Greatest Showman
Director: Michael Gracey
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya,
3/27 Darkest Hour
Director: Joe Wright
Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn
4/27 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri
Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones >
5/27 Coco
Director: Lee Unkrich ,p>Cast: Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renée Victor
6/27 Downsizing
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast:
Matt Damon, Christopher Waltz, Jong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis
7/27 Early Man
Director: Nick Park
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, Timothy Spall
8/27 Fifty Shades Freed
Director: James Foley
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Kim Basinger
9/27 Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Director: Wes Ball
Cast: Dylan O'Brien, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Kaya Scodelario, Giancarlo Esposito, Aidan Gillen
10/27 The Shape of Water
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Doug Jones
11/27 Annihilation
Director: Alex Garland
Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Lee, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Oscar Isaac
12/27 Dark River
Director: Clio Barnard
Cast: Ruth Wilson, Mark Stanley, Sean Bean
13/27 Red Sparrow
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Jeremy Irons
14/27 Tomb Raider
Director: Roar Uthaug
Cast: Alicia Vikander, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Dominic West,
15/27 A Wrinkle in Time
Director: Ava DuVernay
Cast: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Zach Galifianakis
16/27 Pacific Rim: Uprising
Director: Steven S. DeKnight
Cast: John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman
17/27 Roman J Israel, Esq
Director: Dan Gilroy
Cast: Denzel Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo
18/27 Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Cast: Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson
19/27 Ready Player One
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg
20/27 Avengers: Infinity War
Director: The Russo Brothers
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin
21/27 Untitled Han Solo Film
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover
22/27 Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Director: J.A. Bayona
Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pine, B.D. Wong, Toby Jones
23/27 Deadpool 2
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Zazie Beetz, Josh Brolin
24/27 Ocean's 8
Director: Gary Ross
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Munn, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, Matt Damon
25/27 Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer
26/27 Soldado
Director: Stefano Sollima
Cast: Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jeffrey Donovan, Catherine Keener, Matthew Modine
27/27 The Incredibles 2
Director: Brad Bird
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson
“When a person of power breaks that boundary and violates that boundary, you’re a prisoner of war,” he said. “Immediately you’re in a camp, because you’re trying to figure out when is the right time to come out. [Is it when] the guard turns her head? When they leave a door open?
“You’re digging tunnels with spoons, you’re trying to find a way out, and you get out and then you finally find freedom and somebody says, ‘It must not be that bad. You should’ve came out sooner.’
“And you’re like, ‘I’m free. I finally got free,’ and this is the thing that a lot of people just don’t understand and they end up blaming the victim.”
A person who answered the phone to NBC at a number registered to Mr Venit this month declined to comment on the matter. "I know nothing about that," he said.
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