On Tuesday of this week, Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews appeared before a Senate Judiciary Committee in the US to advocate for a Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill Of Rights, and share his own story.
The bill aims to codify certain rights for individuals reporting sexual assaults, such as the right to have rape kits preserved and forensic testing subsidised. Speaking about his own experiences, the actor told the committee:
“This past year we have seen powerful men in Hollywood and elsewhere finally held accountable for sexual assault. We also saw the backlash survivors faced coming forward. I wanted these survivors to know that I believed them, I supported them, and that this happened to me too.”
Crews’ friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine castmates have since come out in a heartwarming show of support and solidarity. Speaking with the Associated Press at an event to promote the upcoming Hotel Transylvania 3, co-star Andy Samberg said:
“We have a cast text chain and we were all texting him how incredible it was. He’s a miracle. Terry’s the best guy. I am proud to know him.”
The show’s creator Dan Goor took to Twitter to say “I cannot emphasise enough what an honour and a privilege it is to know Terry Crews. He is not only the strongest man I have ever met, he is the bravest. I love and support you.”
SAME!!! So proud of @terrycrews for speaking his truth. We love you Terry and we stand with you! https://t.co/OwAAEWSHpE
— Melissa Fumero (@melissafumero) June 27, 2018
Rape, harassment & assault are often approached as “womans issues” where boys and men are sidelined as silent victims. That @terrycrews is speaking out about this culture is a good thing and supporters need to be louder than those who chose to ridicule him for speaking his truth.
— Chelsea Peretti (@chelseaperetti) June 27, 2018
Wow, yeah, I was not entirely prepared to have my emotions destroyed like that today, but here we are, so I’ll just say that these people are really great and that my love and respect for Terry Crews to increase exponentially, and also, NINE NINE.
