As video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee unconscious continues to spark discussion
about domestic abuse, actor and former NFL player Terry Crews weighed in on the scandal,
recalling the violence of his own childhood, Entertainment Tonight reports. The Brooklyn
Nine-Nine star has always been open about the abuse his mother faced at the hands of
his father throughout his childhood, and said the Rice video brought up old feelings in him.
"When I saw the video I was immediately taken back to my childhood," he said. "This is the
way I grew up. I used to watch this happen over and over again. It was a post-traumatic-stress
experience for me. I used to watch my father hit my mother in the face and watch her go down
and there was some things that just affected me more than I don't think anyone could realize."
Crews spoke critically about NFL culture, and sports culture in general, which, he says, does
not value women as much as star players are valued. "I mean it's weird because you think of
how this cult pact works and there are always ways to get back in—especially in the NFL. I've
seen major transgressions done and people still play. The NFL culture, the sports culture, has
decided that they are more valuable than women," the 46-year-old told Entertainment Tonight,
when asked if Rice would ever play in the league again.
"I've heard people laugh about keeping their pimp-hand strong and keeping her in control so that
she knows her place. But think about how evil that is for one man to think that he's actually more
valuable than a woman, because as a human being your worth is immeasurable." The actor also
offered his own views on Janay Rice's defense of her now-husband. Janay Rice blasted the media
for forcing her family to "relive a moment in our lives that we regret" and telling people to butt out.
"I'm not saying it could never work," Crews told the news site cautiously. "I'm not saying that they
could never overcome all of these problems because it is possible, but I am saying that she needs
real help. It is way too quick to call it a wonderful life now."
Source: The Root