https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKGmMe5rLNk
The only thing larger and stronger than athlete-turned-character actor Terry Crews’ biceps is his sense of duty and decency. Every week, he portrays Sergeant Terry Jeffords on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, playing a character who challenges traditional images of masculinity by raising two children with delicacy, sensitivity and empathy. But beyond the four corners of the TV screen, Crews has also spread his message of positivity and social responsibility. A vocal and impassioned feminist and proponent of women’s rights, Crews said during a wonderful interview with DAME Magazine that “…my message to all men is that you have to kill pride. You’ve been taught that pride is a manly thing, that pride is a good thing. But the problem with pride is that it stops you from growth. When you’re so proud that you won’t change, you’ve got problems.”
Crews opened up about another one of his problems for his fans on Facebook in a new video posted to the social-media platform. Using a simple camcorder while seated in a parked car, Crews speaks for a little over five minutes about the struggle with online pornography addiction that nearly cost him his marriage: “My wife was like, ‘I don’t know you anymore. I’m out of here.’ And that changed me,” Crews said, “because I realized this thing is a major, major problem.” Crews confesses to having developed a dependency so intense, that he’d watch pornography until day turned into night, a habit that culminated in his stint at a rehabilitation facility. Crews said, “My wife was like, ‘I’m out.’ And you know what? I did not get help so I could get my wife back. I just wanna tell you that. I got help because I needed it.”
Speaking this candidly about a difficult personal issue is a serious act of bravery. There’s still a social stigma attached to pornography addiction, and as Crews notes in the video, that’s prevented many affected from being open about their challenges and seeking the help they need. Hopefully, Crews will set an example that can change that in the years to come.
