Terry Crews Takes Bended Knee: 'I Apologize'

The 'America's Got Talent' host tells Gabrielle Union he should have supported her
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 1, 2020 12:00 PM CST
Terry Crews Takes Bended Knee on Twitter
In this April 10, 2018, file photo, actor Terry Crews appears on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York.   (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Terry Crews didn't quite have Gabrielle Union's back regarding her allegations of racism on set at America's Got Talent—and now he's sorry, NBC News reports. "I want you to know it was never my intention to invalidate your experience—but that is what I did," he tweeted. "I apologize. You have been through a lot in this business, and with that I empathize with the struggle toward fairness and equality in the workplace." His string of tweets went on to say "I hear you, I respect you and understand you" and "I spoke from my own personal point of view without first taking into consideration someone else’s experience." The America's Got Talent host also called Union "a role model to the entire black community" and said "I should have at the very least understood you just needed my support."

Union was released from the talent show in November after raising allegations of racist and sexist behavior at NBC, including a racial joke made on camera—which was later cut out—and her being told several times that her hairstyles were "too black." Crews commented on her allegations last week on the Today show: "First of all, I can't speak for sexism because I'm not a woman," he said, per Deadline. "But I can speak on behalf of any racism comments. That was never my experience. In fact, it was the most diverse place I have ever been in my 20 years of entertainment." Union is yet to comment on his apology. (Howard Stern has a theory about what's going on.)

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