Terry Crews says he asked WME to blacklist alleged sexual harasser Adam Venit
More details have emerged about Terry Crews' allegations that he was groped by William Morris Endeavor (WME) executive Adam Venit. On Thursday, "Good Morning America" aired more of Crews' interview during which he revealed that he met with the head of the powerful talent agency, Ari Emanuel, the company's co-CEO, to tell him to cut ties with Venit.
On Wednesday, the actor told co-host Michael Strahan that in February 2016, Venit, the longtime head of WME's motion picture group, groped his genitals at an event honoring Adam Sandler.
Crews said he felt "free" after naming Venit. He compared going public to being a released prisoner of war and he added, "I have totally said, 'I will not be shamed.' I will not be shamed. I did nothing wrong."
Describing the incident, Crews said, "He takes my right hand and under mine, and immediately squeezes, grabs my genitals. I slap his hand away and pushed him back more forcefully." He added that he told Sandler about the alleged groping.
Crews said he had "never felt more emasculated."
Crews said though Venit apologized to him and said he was drunk, he felt the apology was insincere.
"It's like when people are sorry because they got caught," he said.
The actor explained that this year, he talked to Emmanuel and urged him to blacklist Venit.
"I brought out a letter that he wrote in 2011 which demanded that Mel Gibson be blacklisted from Hollywood for anti-Semitic [comments]," he said. "I took that letter, crossed out Mel Gibson, put Adam Venit, crossed out anti-Semitic remarks and put sexual assault. I said, 'Read that letter. Now you know what you got to do.' He said, 'It's different.'"
Crews has since left William Morris Endeavor.
Venit is currently suspended. Venit and Emmanuel declined to comment, ABC said.
