Terry Crews apologized to Gabrielle Union for not supporting her after news broke that sexism and racism played a major role in her getting axed from America’s Got Talent.
“I told @KevinHart4real a while ago, he needed 2 ‘acknowledge the pain of other people.’ Right now I have to do the same thing. I want to apologize for the comments I made. I realize there are a lot of Black women hurt and let down by what I said and also by what I didn’t say,” Crews began in his tweet thread, apologizing to the actress on Friday.
I told @KevinHart4real a while ago, he needed 2 “acknowledge the pain of other people.” Right now I have to do the same thing. I want to apologize for the comments I made. I realize there are a lot of Black women hurt and let down by what I said and also by what I didn’t say.
— Terry Crews (@terrycrews) January 31, 2020
He then acknowledged that he failed to look at things from Union’s point of view and explained why he dismissively rejected the angry criticisms people launched at him for not being supportive.
“I hear you, I respect you and understand you. I am sorry and I am here to support you. I spoke from my own personal point of view without first taking into consideration someone else’s experience,” he wrote. “I allowed disrespectful comments directed at me and my family to cause me to react angrily instead of responding thoughtfully. This certainly caused more harm, and it is my hope that I can amend any pain I have caused to those who were hurt by my words.”
I allowed disrespectful comments directed at me and my family to cause me to react angrily instead of responding thoughtfully. This certainly caused more harm, and it is my hope that I can amend any pain I have caused to those who were hurt by my words.
— Terry Crews (@terrycrews) January 31, 2020
He also accepted responsibility for invalidating Union’s experiences and commended her for being a role model who has “been through a lot.”
@itsgabrielleu You are a role model to the entire black community and In my desire to be professionally neutral as your co-worker, I should have at the very least understood you just needed my support.
— Terry Crews (@terrycrews) January 31, 2020
Sincerely, Terry Crews
Though Union did not respond to Crews herself, husband Dwayne Wade didn’t bite his tongue.
“Someone please take @terrycrews phone,” Wade wrote on Twitter.
Someone please take @terrycrews phone.
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) February 1, 2020
People online were also less than receptive to Crews’ apology. Many reminded him of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel’s position that silence and neutrality only help the oppressor.
“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we have to interfere,” Twitter user @SFrenchLee wrote, quoting Wiesel.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we have to interfere. Ellie Wiesel
— Stacey French-Lee, Ph.D. (@SFrenchLee) January 31, 2020
Elie Wiesel pic.twitter.com/IsS6fZkg1y
— Rainmaker (@rainmaki) February 1, 2020
Bye. pic.twitter.com/UDp1dONzmj
— Jania Green-Ellis (@janiag7) February 1, 2020
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