Club Shay Shay - Terry Crews Part 2

Episode Date: February 28, 2024

Terry Crews talks about working on White Chicks with the Wayans family and how it changed his life. The Hollywood tales continue from partying with Eddie Murphy to starring in Norbit with him. The epi...sode takes a serious turn when Terry opens up about the traumatic experience of being sexually assaulted by a Hollywood executive. The sincerity continues as Terry addresses his past controversies, like when he offered a heartfelt apology to Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade and running into them at a restaurant. As if there wasn't enough flip flopping between serious and silly, Shannon confronts Terry for boycotting Magic City. The episode concludes with a poignant exploration of Terry's personal life, touching on family struggles, racial identity and the challenges faced by his wife. Terry Crews' authenticity, perseverance, and humor make this Club Shay Shay episode a blockbuster of emotions and showcase the depth and diversity of Terry's life. Don't miss the laughter, the revelations, and the unfiltered honesty shared by the incomparable Terry Crews. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:01:32 Part two is underway. Being on the set of White Chicks, you get an opportunity, you mentioned earlier, to work around Keenan Ivory Wayans. And you saw what he did with In Living Color. Did you really get an opportunity to see his comedic genius? Because you look at In Living Color. I don't know if we're ever going to see anything like that again. Never, never. And it gave birth to so many greats.
Starting point is 00:01:53 The Jamie Foxx, the David Allen Greer, the Tommy Davidson, the Jim Carrey, the Wayans brothers. I mean, there's so many people that launched their careers and became what they became. Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo became what she became from that. Did you get a sense like, man, this dude is a genius? Yes, but this is the thing you got to understand.
Starting point is 00:02:16 The same thing about the NFL. When I walked in the locker room in the NFL, they don't want you going, oh, you so-and-so. You got to hit him. No, you know what I mean? In the league, you realize, wait a minute, man, if I don't hit you,
Starting point is 00:02:36 listen, you on the offensive side of the ball. If I was opposite of you, you don't want me going, oh, man, you sharing the shirt. You running me over. You want a challenge. You want, pow, I'm coming at you. going, oh, man, you're sharing a shirt. You run me over. You want a challenge. You want, pow, I'm coming at you, boom, boom, boom. That's exactly what these actors want.
Starting point is 00:02:52 That's exactly what these comedians want. They don't want you coming in there, oh, look. Man, Sly Stallone's looking like, I want you to bring that heat when you come. We look at me like i did denzel and that and training day they don't want me to be like oh wow you didn't sell they want me looking at him like i'll kill him if he step out of line right because that's where everything is nobody wants it nobody wants you to lob you know what i mean they want you to throw it for real and that's exactly what the way kenan and the whole,
Starting point is 00:03:25 they were playing for keeps. And this is another thing, it's one reason why you can't do white chicks too, because comedy is dangerous. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's dangerous. We're at a different time now. We're definitely at a different time now.
Starting point is 00:03:36 But how have you been able to steal scenes? You've been in Malibu's Most Wanted. You've been in Deliver Us from Evil. You've been in Soul Plane. How? Because it's not like it's written that you're the star right of the movie but you always find a way to steal a scene and man man you remember when t cruz was saying it man you remember he got on the floor and he drunk that drink and he had to dancing you're always able to steal a scene even though the movie isn't written around you.
Starting point is 00:04:06 Passion. I am. I serve the actors. I serve the script. I serve the audience. And it's never about me. And any time you see a movie and you're bored bored it's about that dude on the screen yeah but i've washed up and you're like oh man this dude cats mailing in it's how good am i going to look now
Starting point is 00:04:33 i'm turning to the left and i'm turning to the right you're like oh man whatever but when i'm serving because this is this is the key that's what i had to tell my son. Even about money. I said, you want to make money? The key to making money is serving the most amount of people. The more people you serve, the more money you make. Straight up. I said, look,
Starting point is 00:04:56 people always say, athletes make so much money. Doctors should make more money than athletes. But I'm like, wait, how many patients you got? How many patients you got? How many patients you got? The doctor got 30 patients. Well, you got 30 patient money. But how many people are enjoying
Starting point is 00:05:14 watching LeBron play? True. Hundreds of millions? So he gets hundreds of millions of dollars. I said, dude, don't ever get it twisted. You serve more people, you get more props, you get more money. And I decided I was going to serve more people in everything I did. I remember doing Malibu's Most Wanted.
Starting point is 00:05:35 And I remember being on the set. And I said, I'm going to play this character. His name is 8-Ball, but I'm going to play him like he's real. And I started doing stuff and the director was like hey Put the camera on that dude right there and this is the thing and this is really tricky and I gotta let everybody know this It can get you in trouble Because people go he's showing out Uh-huh, why you trying to make us look bad? You know how many times I heard that?
Starting point is 00:06:04 People always like oh mister overdo it oh oh you're gonna sweep the whole place wow okay mr uh-huh and see and that's what you gotta resist that's what you gotta resist i i found a long time ago like whatever god says about you and and if you repeat it, it sounds very narcissistic. But whatever Satan says about you, and you repeat it, it sounds very realistic. And you have to decide, whoa, am I going to be real?
Starting point is 00:06:40 Or am I going to do what God said? Like, do everything I can. And that's a tricky thing, because you get tricked into it. You get a, oh yeah, you showing out, yeah. Or am I going to do what God said, like do everything I can? And this is and that's a tricky thing because you get tricked into it. You get a, oh, yeah, you showing out. Yeah. But I realize, no, the best thing I can do for the whole world is to make the most of Terry Crews. Best thing I can do for everybody is work out two hours a day. That's it, because all I do is work on me.
Starting point is 00:07:07 Best thing I can do for everybody on that set, study my lines. Know what I'm doing. Be prepared. Be ready. Always, always focused. Best thing. And all of a sudden, nobody got to worry about you. Nobody worry about you.
Starting point is 00:07:20 And back in the NFL, they had to worry about me a little bit. And that's the lesson I learned. I said, nope, you ain't never got to worry about me. I'm coming. I'm watching. I'm seeing. And I'm focused. And it's fun. And then all of a sudden you can have fun. You know what I'm saying? But boy,
Starting point is 00:07:33 just warning, warning that when you do that, and that's one thing too, I had to move on because I had to realize I had a message on my message machine. I said, hey, this is Terry Crews. I'm taking it to the next level and I'm not going back. Leave a message.
Starting point is 00:07:51 And all the people who was like, where are you going? Where are you going? Oh, OK. OK. Oh, not. Democrats didn't get my new number. And I realized, I said, man, I need a new circle. because I realized I said man I need a new circle and the circle that that will get me there has got to be the ones that are happy I'm getting moved up here you know what I mean and anybody
Starting point is 00:08:14 that got crazy I mean it's funny because me and my father had a lot of issues man I mean again he used to beat my mom he He used to do all this crazy stuff. And then he'd call me up before I get on AGT and cuss me out. You ain't nothing. You ain't nothing. And I remember just going... Was he drinking? Yeah. And so he got like this when he was drinking.
Starting point is 00:08:38 That's it. That's it. I mean... Is that why you don't drink? That's why I don't drink. That's why I don't drink. My father get drunk and he beat up my mom. That was the earliest memory, man, watching Not My Mother. So he calls you up before you go on AGTV and he's saying, what's he saying to you? He's cussing me out. Okay.
Starting point is 00:08:57 He's like, you ain't shit. Where did this come from? I don't know. I don't know. It's one of them things where you think you big and stuff, you did it, and I'm going, wow. And it got to a time where I actually had to change my number. And I actually, the only way I would communicate with him was through someone else. Just, is he all right?
Starting point is 00:09:22 Okay, cool, cool. But that stuff deep, man. And it was easier to get rid of friends that way, where you go, hey, yeah, I can move on. Or so-called friends, you realize, that's not a friend anymore. But it's a whole other thing when it's like your father. Right. And my mom passed away a few years ago. So now it's just him. But it's one of those things where I realize what it is. It's okay. He's jealous.
Starting point is 00:09:49 He's angry. And but that's okay. Have you and he always had this contentious relationship? Yeah. Yep. Your earliest memories? Earliest. I remember we, listen, we were driving. He was driving me.
Starting point is 00:10:04 Picked me up from practice because he didn't want to pick me up from practice. He's like, oh, man, I'm wasting my time. I got to go do this. Because he didn't like sports. And he said, you know, I said, man, I'm going to make it in the NFL. He said, you know, only one in a million make it in the NFL. Only one in a million. I said, I'm one in a million.
Starting point is 00:10:23 I looked him dead and the car I probably was 12 so I wanted a million you gotta say I'll never forget this these are moments make me who I am and I remember those conversations. And I know that even as I walk around this town, I am one in a million. As you've gotten older, have you ever tried to sit down and have a conversation with your father? Have you ever guys have thought about going to therapy together and try to get to the root? You're 55. I mean, I understand you have a very contagious relationship, but you only get one. And I know sometimes you probably think you don't miss him because you have the opportunity to pick up the phone and call him.
Starting point is 00:11:12 But, you know, T, there might be one day that you don't have an opportunity to talk to him. I know. I know. And, you know, that might be I'll be honest with you, man. That might be the reason we sit here today. honest with you man that might be the reason we sitting here today just talking about this is making me realize it's got to be we got to find a way got to make this work yeah we gotta find a way I mean and it's wild because I tried I try I call and then you know you find out he's drinking cuz he'll lie you know I ain't drinking and you know and then you cut but you know all you find out he's drinking. Because he'll lie. You know, I ain't drinking. And, you know, and then he cuts me off. But you know all the signs that he is drinking.
Starting point is 00:11:47 All the signs. You know what I mean? Everything. Because he's a whole different person when he's not. Right. You know, so. Do you have brothers and sisters? Yes, I have an older brother, a younger sister.
Starting point is 00:11:57 And there's a guy that I was going in between. What's their relationship like with your father? Or is it just you? No, it's everybody. I mean, yeah, because he, again. But like you say, he's drinking. Everybody was there when he was beating my mother. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:12:11 So it makes it very, very difficult. And when she passed, that was a really, really hard time. Because that's the thing, man. It's almost like, why didn't you? Like, it should have been you. You beating her, and she just internalizing all that. She got sick, and that was it. And it's like, man, you know?
Starting point is 00:12:34 But it's one of those things. I think if he was willing, and we just got to find out if he would be willing. I have to find out if he'd be willing to do that so we could all sit down together. Have you ever had a conversation with him like that? Why do you treat mom like this? I have to find out if he'd be willing to do that so we could all sit down together. Yeah. Have you ever, I haven't had a conversation with him like that. Why you treat mom like this? Why would you do,
Starting point is 00:12:50 why did you do some of the things that you did? And you're talking to a, uh, now you're talking to a person who would literally be like, I didn't, this is one thing he says. I didn't beat her that bad. That bad.
Starting point is 00:13:01 Bruh. When you're talking to those kinds of words, you're like, man, you know, what are you saying? I didn't beat her that bad. You're when you're talking those kind of words, you're like, man, you know, what are you saying? I didn't beat her that bad. You're talking to her son. And
Starting point is 00:13:11 he's never been able to acknowledge that. And what happens, this is a problem, man, listen. And this is one thing I realized, that if you don't deal with these things early, or where you're at they harden you know the bible talks about hardening your heart and there's a point where you feel like
Starting point is 00:13:34 I'm good no matter what and I never wanted to get like that you gotta understand man I had to revamp my whole relationship with my own wife 20 years in I had to admit I had to revamp my whole relationship with my own wife. 20 years in, I had to admit I had been unfaithful to her. You know how wonderful I'm telling you all the stuff, the great stuff she did, the whole thing? That still wasn't enough for me to be faithful. And I had to turn. When you was at your lowest, she was there. You see? And I went, man.
Starting point is 00:14:02 And I had to go because I was going to turn. It it was gonna be this whole hardening of my heart when i'm finally realizing well you know it was you because you gotta understand when when when you're in that mindset it's like it's always somebody else as long as somebody else's problem hey not me i'm good and i'll never forget we i knew. I felt like we was going to break up. We had just celebrated our 20th anniversary. We're on 34 now. Wow. But I knew. I said, I don't think we're going to make it.
Starting point is 00:14:33 But the thing is, there were things I never told her. You know, there were secrets that I was holding, stuff that I had done that I never said nothing about. That she didn't know about. That she didn't know. But she suspected. You know. She's like, hmm. And finally, You know, baby. You know, yeah.
Starting point is 00:14:45 She's like, hmm. And finally, she said, this is the thing, man. This is what got me. She got me. She said, what is it I don't know about you, Terry Crews? And I, you know, sometimes you pop a spring. And she could have said that any other day and it wouldn't have done it. And it went.
Starting point is 00:15:07 And it said, tell her. Tell her. Because if you don't tell her, it's almost like God told me. He said, I'll never be with you again. He don't say that. Did you feel like if you didn't tell her at that moment and she'd have found out everything on her own, it would have been a whole different ballgame. A whole different ballgame. A whole different ball game. A whole different ball game. Oh, easy.
Starting point is 00:15:27 Well, that's the thing, man. How does it work in the court? First of all, you turn yourself in. If you admit guilt, you get the leniency of the court. But if they catch you, if you talk about not getting it, you got to get the fool. You got to get the court. But if they catch you, if you take the time, you got to get the fool
Starting point is 00:15:46 and you got to get the hardship. Bam! Man, that gavel come down hard. And I said, this is what happened. Obviously, as you're explaining, you're telling her some of the transgressions that you had that she didn't know she suspected. And I'm sure there are tears starting
Starting point is 00:16:02 to flow. And that's starting to break your heart because she was there when no one else was. She knew you at your lowest and she picked you up so you could be at your highest. And now you got to tell her, baby, I'm not the man that you thought I was. Hey man, there ain't no kind of pain than hurting the one who love you the most.
Starting point is 00:16:25 That's a whole not other level of pain. I mean, you can be kind of cruel to people you don't really care about or whatever, but somebody who's always down, never disappointed you, is always... And I look at my wife right now, and I'm like, wow. I got to... Like, you got to understand, man, like, knowing... There were times I would come home, and she'd be be in tears and I know it was because of me. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:16:50 And it hurts a woman. I mean, that's to the core. And I remember just going, I have to do anything and everything. But this is the thing, too. I realized running doesn't help. I wasn't going to run anymore. And I said, I just have to acknowledge, and I got to make amends. And now, whether she stayed with me or not, that's up to her.
Starting point is 00:17:20 And that's the thing. That's why I never looked. So you did what you did. It actually wasn't for her. It was for you, because it was eating you. Yeah. It was killing. You was dying slowly inside.
Starting point is 00:17:29 Yep. Yep. Oh, yeah. I mean, you're living a lie. Well, you know. Hey, man, you know when you lie. Yes. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:17:36 You know when you tell it, uh-huh, uh-huh, and then all of a sudden it just all come down. I didn't want to live in a lie anymore. And, dude, this is the thing, man. Being, what I like to call it is a whole person. Because what happens is you have a double life. You're literally like one way this way, one way that way. Man, and that's a whole other level of stress. When you got to be two people all the time.
Starting point is 00:18:01 Which lie did I tell? Let me tell you, I used used to be like why don't you believe me but the real question i should have been asking was why am i lying why you why aren't you telling the truth shannon dude and i'm listening to you when someone's with you for that long they know you bro yeah you're basically a teenager she don't she don't be your late teens your 20s your early 30s right we're up together yeah but see this is the thing she gave me all that time because she always was suspicious you know she was suspicious and she just sat in her way like is he gonna tell me oh just she was always giving me the benefit. Always sticking there anyway. And dude, but I have to say this.
Starting point is 00:18:46 The happy ending is literally after that 20-year point when we almost broke up. We got closer than ever. And I mean, the next 14 have been beyond belief. Because I'm a whole person. There ain't no lies. There ain't no nothing. It's like this is what it is and that's the thing man it's like uh i just want one thing i want everybody to know about me is that i'm not hollywood and when i when you look at the term
Starting point is 00:19:18 hollywood i want people to know that i'm human This is one reason why I say these things. Simply because, you know, people go out and they're like, the whole desire is to be looked at like, oh, you're a superstar. You're this and this. You're infallible. Nope. Nope. Nope. People are like, man, you said some stuff that got offended me. I know. Man, you hurt my feelings when you've been in it.
Starting point is 00:19:42 I totally understand. That's me. I did that. You know what I mean? A lot of people mad at me for different things, different reasons. And I totally upped up when I should. I spoke and I should have shut up. And I look back and I go, man, I'm sorry.
Starting point is 00:20:02 A lot of times I have to acknowledge that. But a lot of times you have to acknowledge that there's some people that are just not going to like you and understand that too and but I feel human because this is another thing as a football player you lose humanity you become a god
Starting point is 00:20:19 and it always comes back to bite you as an entertainer the same way. If people put you on a high pedestal, oh, he's never this, he's never this, hey, man, we're all human. Right. Big time.
Starting point is 00:20:33 Right. And that's why I want to always keep out there. Eddie Murphy wrote you in Norbit, and you talk about you wanted to be a comedic actor. Yeah. There's no bigger one than Eddie Murphy. Never. And he wrote you in norbit
Starting point is 00:20:45 can i tell you the story yes i know we run out no we got time bro i got invited over eddie's house and i said man but i i said but you ain't eddie the dude that invited me wasn't eddie i said man i don't know he said no no no no it's cool man eddie say i can bring some people around here i said dude come on man i do not want to show up at Eddie's house and not supposed to be there. So, man, I said, but I had to, you know, he's like, no, man. Eddie is cool, cool. So we go over
Starting point is 00:21:14 to his house, man, and I'm like, oh, my God, this place is the most palatial thing I've ever seen. I ain't never seen, I didn't know people lived like this. I swear, man, that was at the moment where you're like, good God, this is one of the most giant people in the world and he's there and people and there's food and everything and the house full of people and all things and i'm like but where's eddie oh man i'm just thinking lord and eddie's at the top of the stairs and i went oh he's looking over the whole thing i'm like
Starting point is 00:21:42 oh man and he comes right down the stairs, looks me dead in the eye. Like, he ain't looking at nobody else in the room. He's looking at me. I'm like, oh, damn it. I knew I wasn't supposed to be here. He's looking at me like, he said, you walked dead over to me, man. I'm going, oh, I'm about to get kicked out of this man's house. He said, T, come here.
Starting point is 00:22:03 And I will follow him. And we go to the hallway. He said, hey, man, my brother's writing this movie. My brother Charlie. He said, he's writing this movie called Norbert, man. We got a role. We wrote just for you. He said, what you want? Bam! He said, what you want? You want to be in this movie with us? I said, holy God, who gets this? Who gets this, Shannon?
Starting point is 00:22:36 Certainly, there's billions and billions of people on earth, and I got that. You ain't got to tell me nothing. I I got that. Right. You ain't got to tell me nothing. I feel like that endorsement, the fact that he said, we wrote this for you,
Starting point is 00:22:51 because they recognize the passion that I bring to every role. They knew I wasn't going to mail it in. They knew I wasn't going to complain. They knew I was going to come with it. Big black jacket. And I did. And I'm so thankful for it, man. The fact that I worked with Eddie and Charlie.
Starting point is 00:23:12 Yeah. And look, Charlie's gone. Good friend. Yep. Good friend. It blows my mind. You also were in Soul Plane with Kevin. Yeah, Kevin Hart.
Starting point is 00:23:25 That was one of the first things. And this was kind of before Kevin Hart became the K-Hart that we know him as currently. Did you see this kind of meteoric rise for him? Yes. Kevin was a superstar. But see, you got to understand, Soul Plane was the most bootleg movie of all time. Yeah. I was at the gas station. You got to understand, Soul Plane was the most bootleg movie of all time. Yeah, they were just snooped off.
Starting point is 00:23:46 No, no, no, wait, wait. I was at the gas station, and I was like, man, this movie coming out in six months. They're like, hey, man, you did a good job in Soul Plane. I'm like, huh? Huh? I saw it last night. I said, how you? Man, I got out of the house, man.
Starting point is 00:23:59 What you talking about? I was like, I pumped my gas. Dude, I went to Roscoe's. It's sitting out there in front of Roscoe's. I said, how y'all get so? He said, man, just go in there and get your waffles, bro. Don't bother me, man. I wanted to be like, man, y'all can't be selling these movies.
Starting point is 00:24:17 Go get your waffles, bro. Don't be messing with me. I was like, all right, all right. They selling my movie outside. Dude, the streets love Soul Plays. They didn't pay
Starting point is 00:24:30 a dime to see it though. It was awesome. I love it. It was awesome. Hey man, but the streets had it six months before it came out. You know that copy
Starting point is 00:24:39 came straight from Technicolor. Somebody in Technicolor, it's like the McDonald's scam. You know, McDonald's Monopoly. Yes. That somebody on the inside was giving it out. Somebody on the inside sent that straight to the street because they knew they could get
Starting point is 00:24:51 money on it. Everybody made money but Kevin and the producers of that movie. But see now, but think about it. Look at what Kevin is now. I mean, you do voice acting. I mean, Boondocks, American Dad, Spider-Man, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Do you, I mean,
Starting point is 00:25:07 because a lot of people say they like doing voiceover roles. Do you like that? Love it. Love it. Everything. In fact, oh man, I can't even say it yet. Oh, you got something else. I know. I'll tell you after. I'll tell you after, but I love it. I love doing all this stuff, man.
Starting point is 00:25:24 I mean, remember, it's all entertainment. Now, understand this. I got to go back to another thing. When I started, people weren't doing it. Like, stars weren't doing commercials. Right. And they came. I remember getting this opportunity because one guy fell out.
Starting point is 00:25:39 They had hired some guy to do it. And they said, well, we had this Terry Crews type guy. Why don't we just ask cherry cruz if you would do it they presented me with the first old spice commercial yeah and i said hell yeah hell yeah and i went in there man and they was like you grew up wearing those wearing those fights back and everybody wanted everybody and look first of all you gotta understand it was kind of like on the outs. Like Old Spice was, they were thinking about changing it and the whole thing.
Starting point is 00:26:10 And all of a sudden, it became iconic. I said, you can entertain with two minutes, one second voiceover. You can entertain. I said, my rule, I have no rules. And dude, I did that whole campaign for 10 years. Wow. It changed the game. Like, all of a sudden, you have major stars now doing commercial.
Starting point is 00:26:33 Right. And the whole thing. But Old Spice changed the game. They played all over the NFL. That was another thing that was kind of like my revenge on the league. Because you couldn't watch a game without seeing some crazy cherry wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast nfl daily with greg rosenthal five days a week you'll get all the latest news previews recaps and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee
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Starting point is 00:28:57 in the dynasty fantasy football space for a while. Well, we're here to take your game to the next level. Maybe you love fantasy football and you've been feeling that itch to jump into the Dynasty format, but it feels a little bit intimidating. No matter where you're coming from, the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast has something for you, and you're going to have a great time listening, I promise. Join me and the rest of the crew every Wednesday for a new episode. Listen to the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
Starting point is 00:29:28 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Crews, Old Spice Commercial. You know what I mean? I don't know if you have any horror stories, but Terrence Howard said that he was only paid like $12,000 for doing Hustle & Flow. Do you have any horror stories in which you felt that you didn't get the proper Compensation that you deserve first of all I and I understand what Terrence is saying
Starting point is 00:29:51 But I have never ever ever looked at whatever money I got as a horror story If I did it I Loved it right see but this is the problem. I have a there's a saying i have to say you can't nod yes and mean no if i nod yes i looked at the terms and say okay you're gonna pay me four grand for two days okay if i said okay i can't come back later and be like ah i only got four grand for that that's hey man that's what you presented. Right. So there it is.
Starting point is 00:30:27 To me, I'm not going back on that. And this keeps my heart always full of gratitude. Because once I start to complain about any of that, it starts to mess with my legacy. I didn't get nothing for training day. How about that? I didn't get a zero. But it changed my life forever. You didn't know who I was if it wasn't for a no paying job. First of all, it named somebody to play football for money. When they start, you don't get no
Starting point is 00:30:57 money, right? You play football for free. You play basketball for free. Then you get all the way to the pros and you get the millions. Ain't no other way, bro. There's nothing else. Wait, there's no way to hop, skip, and jump this thing. You see what I'm saying? But that's the thing. People are trying to invent ways to get right to the money. But hey, man, first of all, nobody knew who I was. And I got my shot. I got paid maybe four grand on Friday after next. But that's why I came up to Cube and said, thank you. Thank you. That was a start. That was a start.
Starting point is 00:31:33 Now, I make money now. You've been a part of three shows that did at least 100 episodes. Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Are We There Yet? Everybody Hates Chris. That's an extremely rare feat for a single actor to have three different shows to reach that. Very rare. But again, I love,
Starting point is 00:31:54 love, love working. I love what I'm doing. Just did a movie with Dave Bautista coming out next year called The Killer's Game. So honored, man. Like, who gets this dude i'm living you you talking to an old football player you know that yeah when i look at the players i play with and they just like man you killing it man you like and i gotta take it but again when i look at
Starting point is 00:32:20 the fact that i don't tomorrow tomorrow's not promised. Right. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow. So I'm going. And I'm going to take it. But every one of those roles makes me better. I learned on the fly. I didn't go to school. Right. So I learned by doing a hundred episodes of the show. Right. You know, it's funny. I'm on the road.
Starting point is 00:32:41 I learned by acting. So Tashina Arnold, she'd be sitting there and I was like man these lines they're hard to learn these lines man I'm trying to learn these lines
Starting point is 00:32:50 she said Terry Terry sing them I said what are you talking about she said sing your lines and you sing it you know how you sing you memorize songs right
Starting point is 00:32:58 she said when you talk it sing it and you remember it see that's a seasoned actress telling me When you talk it, sing it. And you remember it. See, that's a seasoned actress telling me the keys to the game. And I'm ready to receive it. Dude, I said, holy, it changed my life.
Starting point is 00:33:15 Right. And Tashina is one of the most brilliant superman actors since she was a kid. And she had all this knowledge. But I'm open to it because I'm like, how do I this and i have no problem asking for help no problem you turned down the expendable four rows because of an assault and because you refused to withdraw yeah the petition of the civil suit was that difficult for you or were you standing on as as they say, not business, but principle? It was it was totally it was extremely difficult because I love those guys, man. We did this together. You know, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren, Sylvester Stallone. I call him my dad in the business. He was like, man, you I'm going to put you in this thing.
Starting point is 00:34:00 And then when the fourth one came, I mean, the producer told me you ain't going to be in it if you don't drop this case. I said, come on, man. I said, what kind of game are you playing? Now remember, I had already been manipulated by the NFL. I'll never forget when I had to go home on that Monday and had to bring back my playbook. Right. So you can get rid of me anytime you want. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:34:24 But this was my terms. This is my Barry ain't you want. You know what I mean? But this was my terms. This is my Barry ain't going back. You know what I mean? This is me like, no, no. I'm not going to nod my head yes and mean no. I mean no this time. Right. And I love those guys, man.
Starting point is 00:34:39 Jason Statham, all of them. And I hope we can do something together in the future. And it ain't their fault. You know what I mean? But there was just things I have to say. Remember now, like I said, if I'm doing it, you got to know I've already counted all the costs.
Starting point is 00:34:57 All the costs. And I've done many, many things for free, but that meant more to me than the things I got paid for. more paid a lot of money how difficult was it to come out because you said a hollywood exec broke you yeah and that's not easy for a man especially a man of your stature right and then all of a sudden the fabrications of the stories that started being fabricated about you yeah did did you think because you said anytime you come out with something you've already
Starting point is 00:35:25 that you've already calculated the risk and the cost of whatever you're going to say or do yeah did you think you would get the kind of blowback or the because i don't think a whole lot of people believed you yeah i knew it was going to be strange first of all if it hadn't happened to me and i heard it i'd have been man, what is this dude talking about? That's why I never got mad. I couldn't get mad at people going, man, what are you doing, man? Big ass Terry Crews. Right.
Starting point is 00:35:54 But see, I'd already been through probably eight years of therapy. Me and my wife rebuilding, me understanding what true power was, me understanding that it was about how hard i you gotta understand in the nfl road rage works that works but in real life go to jail real life hey man you can do what you did on the nfl football field you do what you did in mma you're going you're going to jail straight straight to jail right jail full the cast that was like I ain't taking that right and I realized well because my wife made me promise she said Terry because she you know I used to have higher hair trigger and temper and be fighting people and she's like man what are you doing? We're going to lose everything. You can't do this.
Starting point is 00:36:46 You got a son now. And son was my last one. That's my fifth. She's like, you want to be able to show him. You want to be able to be there for him. But you acting like this. And I realized something. And I said, man, there's much more power in thinking your way out of situations than fighting your way out of them.
Starting point is 00:37:07 And this was what blew me away. It's because my wife was right there. And we went home and I was like, this is bullshit. I was like, I can't believe this. She said, Terry, Terry. She said, ain't a woman in your life ain't been through that shit. Okay. Wow. He said ain't a woman in your life ain't been through that shit Okay, and she said now what you gonna do He said cuz we can't fight our way throughout this stuff
Starting point is 00:37:36 He said your daughter your mother me Been places where you just had to eat it in places where you just had to eat it. I said, right. And I said, you know what, though? I said, I'm going to do it the other way. I'm going to sue them. And she said, there you go.
Starting point is 00:37:59 And I'm going to tell you how to do it. Wow. My wife was right there with me. And she said, you tell what happened and you show people this could happen. And I remember I said, hey, man, size ain't got nothing to do with it. First of all, if you did it, I mean, it's like saying I'm too big to get shot. Well, actually, you're the perfect size. uh well actually you the perfect size you do that hey well if the bullet hit yeah what i didn't i you know what i mean i mean i'm big i'm giant my chest was so no that went right through i'm standing there and it happened yeah just if
Starting point is 00:38:38 i acknowledge if i don't say nothing that mean it didn't happen. Correct. So what does that mean? But now I say, hold up. Hold up. Because they were telling me that he could get away with it. He could do it. This is my agency, man. I paid y'all millions of dollars, man. Millions. And of course, I'm sitting here going, I'm on the black side of this thing.
Starting point is 00:39:00 So I'm going, yo, wait a minute. Now, would you be doing this to your white clients I'm going uh I said so what is going on why is this dude still there and they said well they thought I was trying to do some money like give me a money grab or I said no no I said I don't want no money but he got to go you don't get to test the clients you don't get to do that and all of a sudden they were like like, no, he gets to stay. He's a partner. I was like, all right.
Starting point is 00:39:30 We're going to do. I spent a half a million dollars on my own money. But how many women have that? How many people have that? How many? I was in the position. Like I said, how many? I get to have that
Starting point is 00:39:45 because I got that kind of money but for me I would have spent a million dollars to win one dollar and I said that my wife
Starting point is 00:39:54 and my wife was like go ahead Terry she said this is how you fight not with your fists but you think your way through this thing and you know what
Starting point is 00:40:03 it finally came up with it. And finally, because this is the thing. When you do stuff like that, you don't rob the biggest bank in this place. You rob a whole bunch of little ones. And all these people came out to woodwork, man, that nobody knows about that joined my case. They were like, yeah, he did this to me, too. Yeah, he did this. He was coming.
Starting point is 00:40:24 I said, this, too. my case it was like yeah he did this to me too yeah he did this he was coming i said this dude and all of a sudden they were like uh hey terry guess what we're gonna fire him and we're gonna give you all your money back how about that i'll say cool all the money that y'all took from fees i need that all that give me my money back. Thank you. And I moved on. But see, remember, it's not about revenge. It's about, but this is the thing. Men, and this is one thing I want every man out there to know, is that you're worth it. Because you can discount yourself.
Starting point is 00:40:59 Like, oh, man, it wasn't no thing. It ain't no thing. But this is the thing. How I had to look at myself. I have a little picture of myself when I was 10 years old on my desk. And I said, man, what if somebody messed with that little kid? What would you do? That's you.
Starting point is 00:41:20 Take care of you. Take care of you. Really? Don't let nobody treat that little boy like he's worth less because that little boy is me well and that's the same thing i think every man needs to understand who he really really is and the thing is doesn't mean beating people up right doesn't mean swinging a bat shooting up the place doesn't mean driving a car through the center of the thing is, it doesn't mean beating people up. It doesn't mean swinging a bat, shooting up the place. It doesn't mean driving a car through the center of the thing. It means, hey, man, you can't do that. No.
Starting point is 00:41:54 Standing up and taking your voice, and that's your story. And I stood with all, and let me say, I was inspired by all these women that came forward. That was like, hey, me too. I got this happened to me. This happened to me. And you know what? I cannot count the number of men that came forward. It was like, man, wrestlers, NFL players, all this.
Starting point is 00:42:19 It was like, you know, that happened to me. And they were coming out. I would never tell people to make their stuff public. I would never, ever say, but you got to tell a counselor, a friend, somebody so that you can get past this. And I was just in the public eye and I had that skill and ability to deal with it in the public because I'm always public. How did it make you feel that some prominent people in our community made light of your situation?
Starting point is 00:42:47 I understood it. Man, you got to know, I'm from Flint, man. You know, first of all, you grow up with, in the hood, you know about what's wrong with you. You know what I mean? You got a big head, that's big head Johnny. Right. You got big ears, that's ears, whatever. You know?
Starting point is 00:43:01 You know what I mean? Right. It's like, you grow up with, you got to you gotta be tough right that's the whole thing trash talk whatever get dunked on you don't live it down i mean that's just the way it was and i've started to realize hmm well they're gonna talk anyway so you know i mean so let me give me something to talk about but i started to realize, when I had so many black people come forward and say, thank you. Thank you. Hey, bro. Thank you for coming forward and saying what happened. Because I happen to me and people pulling me to the side.
Starting point is 00:43:41 And that's why I know I was right. I knew. I said, no, this is a problem. I was going to parties, going to Hollywood stuff, man. And people were pulling me to the side in tears. I just got to talk to somebody. And I'm going. Listen, man. And I knew when I went in front of the United States Congress and told that story in front of all those senators and the whole thing.
Starting point is 00:44:07 I said, this is a major problem. And I knew my purpose. It was almost like it transcended football, Hollywood. Now I'm in the government circles and I'm going, wow. And if one person's life changed because of that, it was worth it. You caught a lot of criticism a lot of flack a lot of heat with the gabrielle situation gabrielle union situation i think she
Starting point is 00:44:33 was released from agt and it's seemingly some of the tweets that you said about uh uh black communism i think something to that effect. No. What was what were the terms black supremacy? And for the longest time, it seemed like black Twitter was on your side. The black society was on your side.
Starting point is 00:44:58 But it seemed like when you didn't come to the defense of Gabrielle, it seemed like it switched on you a little bit. And then it was tough because you're you're you know, you're, you know, you're on an Island. You're on an Island. How were you able to get over that? And then have you talked to Gabrielle since then? Yes.
Starting point is 00:45:14 Yeah. Let me tell you, man, that is one of my biggest, biggest regrets. Um, again, I, I apologize publicly, but I, I, I but up until this time I never had talked to her and this is the thing man and the problem I had was getting on Twitter
Starting point is 00:45:34 and you can't have a nuanced conversation this is the thing too not in the 180 characters back then 140 now it's 280 we still can't and this is another thing. You can't do anything angry. And I got angry. Right.
Starting point is 00:45:51 People's talking, you know, the internet talks. They talk junk. They talk about my wife. They talk about my kids. And I got mad. And then you start tweeting. Angry tweeting is just like road rage. And it wasn't smart. and let me tell you a beautiful
Starting point is 00:46:07 story and i think this is going to sum it all up and i'm i hope i really really hope and pray that everyone understands because this is such a beautiful thing two years ago um my wife and i were celebrating our anniversary at a um it was at a music festival with robert glasper and all these cats and and we sit up there and duane wade and gabby come in and now i i didn't know they were there uh but my wife was looking behind me. She's like, honey, honey. And I'm like, I look and I said, oh, man. And I knew I said because I had apologized publicly, but we had never talked personally. Now, I knew through therapy is one of those things that you got.
Starting point is 00:46:58 You have to wait to be invited into people's circles, you know, especially if there was anything wrong. Man, Dwayne Wade comes up to me, and I get this tap on my shoulder. Dude, it was the most beautiful thing ever. I turn around. He says, what's up, black man? What's up? He said, I see another black king here. I just want to acknowledge you.
Starting point is 00:47:25 And he gives me a hug. Wow. Hey, man. I'm broke. I'm sitting here going, now, if anybody could have been like, man, bump this dude. I'm out of here. I said, Dwayne. I said, man, can I talk to you and your wife together?
Starting point is 00:47:47 He said, man, come over here. Shannon. It was me, Gabby, Rebecca, and Dwayne. Just us four. No internet, no nothing. And I went right over and I said, I am sorry, Gabrielle, because there's things I didn't know. I'm speaking because I'm speaking angry. But there was so much to the story that I didn't even fully understand.
Starting point is 00:48:16 And I screwed that up. And then the internet got involved and it was horrifying. And my wife, this is another thing. My wife was telling me not to say anything. No, don't, don't, don't. But I'm I'm I'm Terry Crews. This is where you get arrogant. This is where you get prideful.
Starting point is 00:48:38 And I was wrong. I was wrong. And I apologize to her face again. I said, Gabby, please, please accept this apology. And dude, she did. She gave me the biggest hug. Hugged my wife. Dude, we ate with them.
Starting point is 00:48:57 We had lunch with them. Enjoyed this music. And I'm sitting here like, who gets this? Man, Dwayne and Gabby, I got nothing but the utmost respect because if anybody could have just been like, I ain't got nothing to say to them. But I said, what a move. Man, that was
Starting point is 00:49:23 that transcended what I call. It was it was from heaven, man. It was like a whole nother thing and a level of humility that it took for him to come over and just be like, give me that love like that, man. They will forever be. I'm in admiration. I'm in awe of him and her. And I'm just thankful. I'm thankful to call them friends. And I'm thankful that they gave me the shot to say that I apologize to their faith without the Internet, without all this junk.
Starting point is 00:49:59 And it was hard, man, that whole time. Yeah, because there was a lot of tweets going on black lives matters but we got to make sure black lives are are better things of that uh so it kind of morphed you were like angry that people were saying these shots and it kind of morphed into something it's you can't and this is another thing man it's just that you know all, you know, I had to learn to shut up. Right. The hot take, you don't need to give a hot take. Right.
Starting point is 00:50:30 There's no hot takes on everything. You reach a point where you, okay, I'm in the public eye. Time for me to issue a statement. Right. Huh? No. No, in fact, don't say anything. Right. And let me tell you, man, just like I learned in the NFL how to really, really work hard.
Starting point is 00:50:53 With this thing, I had to learn how to be quiet. You out of your league here. You know what I mean? This is too complex a conversation. There's too much nuance here for you to wrap it up in a tweet. No. You know what I mean this is too complex a conversation it's too much nuance here for you to wrap it up in a tweet you know what I mean it's too much pain involved
Starting point is 00:51:11 and I heard a lot of people I heard a lot of people with that and it's again it's one of those things where I apologize but I have to say I'm like I know in my heart why. Because I was angry. Right.
Starting point is 00:51:31 And you can't speak out of anger. You hurt me too, T, when you tried to boycott Magic City. Wake up with football every morning and listen to my new podcast, NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal. Five days a week, you'll get all the latest news, previews, recaps, and analysis delivered straight to your podcast feed by the time you get your coffee. No dumb hot takes here, just smart hot takes. We'll talk every single game every single week, but I can't do it alone. So I'm bringing in the big guns from NFL media. That's Patrick
Starting point is 00:52:02 Claiborne, Steve Weiss, Nick Shook, Jordan Rodrigue from The Athletic, and of course, Colleen Wolfe. This is their window right now. This is their Super Bowl window. Why would they trade him away? Because he would be a pivotal part of them winning that Super Bowl. I don't know why,
Starting point is 00:52:20 Colleen. Catch the podcast at NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal every day. Subscribe today, and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. And who doesn't want that? Listen now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Can't get enough football? Look no further than the Good Morning Football podcast. Join me, Jamie Erdahl, alongside Peter Schrager kyle brant and akbar bajabiamila for a daily breakdown of the league's biggest stories from game plan analysis and player interviews we've got you covered for all things football hey you want to know the secret ingredient that
Starting point is 00:52:54 makes patrick mahomes unstoppable or maybe which reality show best describes the jets season look no further we bring you everything all the games all the matchup previews our impeccable predictions get your football fix right here on the GMFB Podcast. We've got recaps, retweets, and reactions to all the wild moments you might have missed both on and off the field. We bring it like nobody else, straight from the stores.
Starting point is 00:53:15 Whether you're a football fanatic or you just enjoy a good laugh, make sure to listen to the Good Morning Football Podcast Monday through Friday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Mike Wright from the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast. You heard that right. The Fantasy Footballers have officially entered the Dynasty space.
Starting point is 00:53:38 Every week we bring you the same in-depth analysis and entertainment you've come to expect from the Fantasy Footballers, only now from a dynasty perspective maybe you've been living in the dynasty fantasy football space for a while well we're here to take your game to the next level maybe you love fantasy football and you've been feeling that itch to jump into the dynasty format but it feels a little bit intimidating no matter matter where you're coming from, the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast has something for you, and you're going to have a great time listening, I promise. Join me and the rest of the crew every Wednesday for a new episode. Listen to the Fantasy Footballers Dynasty Podcast on the iHeartRadio app,
Starting point is 00:54:19 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, I was getting on everybody's nerves. You heard me. At the end close of that, he had to try to boycott him and be on the other side. He took my clothes and now, open it up. Open it up. Now, that was my
Starting point is 00:54:40 porn problem. You know what I mean? I've been very vocal about that. But that was me. You know what I mean? I've been very vocal about that. Yeah. But that was me. You know what, man? Again, you know, what can I say, man? There's people who hate my guts to this day. I totally understand why. You ever been to Magic? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:54:58 Yeah, we were playing a little. Y'all know. You are close to die if you don't got your people. No, I've been there. I've been to Magic City. I I mean when I was in the league that's the first stop in Atlanta man they be like okay we going you know what I mean again man
Starting point is 00:55:14 my thing is I just I gotta shut up even my wife was like you need to be quiet I said you know I think I do and over the last couple years And even my wife was like, you need to be quiet. I said, you know, I think I do. And over the last couple of years, I've been learning. The problem is I was too quick with statements and my ears weren't open. And I needed to listen.
Starting point is 00:55:48 And that's what I've been doing now. I just tell the story, my own story, my personal stories. And I've just been quick to listen. That's where I'm at. This car, and people, I've noticed this. Yeah. Explain the story how that happened. I was two years old in the hood. And my mother, we was in the little tow-up spot. and I put an extension cord in my mouth and it exploded this is actually repaired right I had a huge keloid on my lip when I was a
Starting point is 00:56:15 kid and all the pictures of me as a kid and I had it taken out when I was in high school and repaired a little bit but but it's almost, uh, it's my reminder of, I should have died. You know, I was shocked, but not electrocuted. Thank God.
Starting point is 00:56:35 But at two years old, that could have been, that could have been horrible. Obviously growing up with that, you know, when you grow up, like we grow up, kids are going to make light of anything. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:56:43 If you, the slightest in any shape, form or manner is going to become a joke. Oh, yeah. I was called electric lip. They were like electric lip. Oh, electric lip. Ah, they had a whole little thing. So how so how was it?
Starting point is 00:56:58 How was your upbringing? You were you bullied a lot? Because I read where you like the way you talk is not typical for Flint. Yeah. And so they like, you trying to be white. Yeah. I mean, you got to understand, I'm an artist. And I'm walking through cats from the gang members, the drug dealers.
Starting point is 00:57:18 It's the 80s. Right. Okay. 80s Flint, Michigan, which is crazy right now. Because the factories are dying and people went straight into the drug game. So it was about, you know, you had to look cool. You had to have your troop suit. You had to have a certain
Starting point is 00:57:32 you had a Jordan zone. And so I had a portfolio and I'm like, uh, and anytime you talked about wanting because again, I've talked a lot and they were like you want to be white
Starting point is 00:57:47 you want to be if I talk riches I want to be rich yeah yeah you want to be white and that was that was kind of hard because you know I had to hide a lot of my talent you know I had to hide I had to
Starting point is 00:58:04 be ah man I don't know what y'all talking about, man. That's where Friday After the Next came from. I just jumped into one of them. And that attitude and that whole thing. People were like, man, he ain't even like that. People who knew me, but nobody who knew me they were like, oh man, I was scared of Damon for years.
Starting point is 00:58:20 But the thing was is that that's, I had to what they call what do they call it. Signal. What is it? I forget. It's like you switch code, the code switch. I had to code switch in order to make it. You know, I mean, because actually I was just very sheltered. Mom, religious father, hate sports, the whole thing.
Starting point is 00:58:44 And I just make it home. Right. But then you're going through the hood on the way home. And Flint was going through everything. So it got really crazy. You tell the story, I read the story, that when you were five, you tried to kiss your dad on the cheek to tell him you love him. Because that's seemingly as a young boy, that's what you wanted. I read the story that when you were five, you tried to kiss your dad on the cheek to tell him you love him. Because that's seemingly as a young boy, that's what you wanted.
Starting point is 00:59:11 You wanted to hear your father tell you he loved you. So since he never told you, you were going to tell him. And you said he looked at you. Looked at me like I had an eye in the middle of my forehead. And I remember he was still drunk. And I remember kissing him on the cheek. And I was just waiting for this like I love you son I was like I love you dad but he looked at me like
Starting point is 00:59:32 and I'll never do that again I'll never do that again and it kind of became where I knew that's where we were going to be you know what I mean that's where our relationship kind of even where I knew that's where we were going to be. You know what I mean? That's where our relationship kind of. Even at five, you didn't. Even at the right age of five, you didn't see your relationship progressing any further than what it was at that moment. Even as you reach your teenage years, your 20s, forever, how long he was on earth and you continue to grow as a young man.
Starting point is 01:00:02 Well, this is the thing, man. Being that vulnerable hurt. Yeah i was vulnerable at that moment and i realized that even as an actor my whole thing is showing vulnerability you know i mean you don't see a character until you're vulnerable. Right. And the fact that all the stuff I've been going through is a response to that. Go ahead. I'll tell people that I got molested. That's showing vulnerability. Where the whole thing was, you know, you got to be hard. You can't never let them see you sweat.
Starting point is 01:00:41 You know, that's weak. That's weak. But I realized vulnerability is strength. Yeah. You know? Yes. Fact is, I'm mean. Listen, I hurt.
Starting point is 01:00:52 Man, you step on my toe, it hurt. You shoot me, it hurts. Right. You know what? There are times I cry. I'm up to shoot. I cried a couple times while we were doing this interview. Right.
Starting point is 01:01:02 You know what I mean? And there's a lot of things that hurt. why we're doing this interview. Right. You know what I mean? And there's a lot of things that hurt. And it's, first of all, entertainment itself is how we deal with pain.
Starting point is 01:01:11 Sometimes you laugh. Sometimes you cry. But that's how we deal with it. You know what I mean? You need to see a funny movie to deal with your pain. You need to see a drama to recognize your pain.
Starting point is 01:01:24 You know what I mean? That's why you put on a slow jam you know what I mean you gotta feel it you lost her you know what I mean she was gone she's gone and you got to feel it these things this is what entertainment is about and if you can't show vulnerability
Starting point is 01:01:40 you can't be in this game not here and I realized I was gonna have a problem if i couldn't so i said i'm gonna just be that dude and let the chips fall i read the story and i always wanted to ask you this because it takes a special type of it takes a for a a son to actually fight his father because the dynamic the thing i've always told my kids i say our dynamic will never change i'm always gonna be your dad you're always gonna be my child
Starting point is 01:02:12 i said and i never want you to put me in a situation where i view you as anything other than that yeah and so we've always maintained a relationship in that aspect i'm the father i'm they're the child there's a respect level on both sides as they reached adulthood yes for you to go to that level because to fight your dad you no longer view him as your dad you view him as someone on the street that at this moment i don't care that was the darkest day. Darkest day. You got to understand the context of that situation is he had just hit my mother.
Starting point is 01:02:50 In front of you? Well, no. He had hit. I wasn't there. But the whole... I got a phone call. Okay. And, oh, your daddy just hit your mama. Now, I'm a grown-ass man. Post-NFL. I already played the league like hey man what
Starting point is 01:03:07 you own it you 245 yeah yeah yeah yeah okay i ain't right right you're talking to a five-year-old boy right i'm like bruh what and see this thing too i had already called i said hey man don't trip don't trip my kids ain't never been around this they ain't never had nothing like this so just act right you know holidays hard right right right just be on your best behavior with the kids please just please and dude he hit her knocked her two sideways like it was crooked hit her dead in the mouth she bleeding i said didn't i tell you now bruh everything came out of that one time it wasn't that i didn't I tell you? Now, bro, everything came out of that one time. It wasn't that I didn't see you as my father anymore.
Starting point is 01:03:50 It was you, I'm five, and you're that dude that I was so scared of. And I got to get rid of this right now. Now you're going to get what you've been given. 25 years. But listen, man, I did it. At that moment. Wait, I beat his ass and I felt nothing. I thought I was going to feel, oh, this is great.
Starting point is 01:04:16 This is great. This is wonderful. Now, finally, it's all straight. I felt worse because now I just beat up the man that brought me into this world. Huh? Huh? See, all this stuff that people think, the road rage, jump out the car, shoot the guy.
Starting point is 01:04:34 Shoot him. How you feel now? Oops. There ain't never been one of those moments where it's like, oops. Damn, I went too far. I shouldn't have done that. How many times do we say that right i've done it i've done it too far what did he say after after that moment what's it was done what what did he say to you how did he how did he look at you because it's not so much what he said t is the look that he gave you. Bruh, I wouldn't even look at it.
Starting point is 01:05:08 That's how I didn't want to look at it. I was ashamed. I was ashamed. A man is never meant to attack his parents. It's just not. It just does not exist. But let me tell you, we did have a great moment
Starting point is 01:05:22 about 10 years later. I left and never came back for a long, long time. We did have a moment because I said, and this is during my therapy sessions, and I called my father up and I said, you know, I need to talk to you because I need to find one thing that I'm thankful for you for. And I said, I'm thankful for you for having me because if you didn't have me, I wouldn't exist. I said, thank you for being my father. And that was it. You just had to find one thing.
Starting point is 01:06:03 It wasn't all, just, hey man, if it wasn't for you, I would never be here. Thank you. He cried. He apologized. He said he was sorry. And I never had that. Then I flew home and hugged it out. I was like, maybe we're on a new path. Maybe we're on a new path. And we hugged it out. I was like, maybe we're on a new path. Maybe we're on a new path.
Starting point is 01:06:27 And I left. And he slowly started getting back again. You know, back hardening again. But I'll never forget. That's why I know there's a way. Right. There is a way. Yeah, of course. Just like you talking about this today, sitting down.
Starting point is 01:06:39 If he's willing, I'm going to see. I'm going to see if he's willing to try this one more time. Because we're all running out of time. You mentioned their wives staying together after there was some infidelity on your part. Do you believe your wife, you guys would be as close as you are now without that? First of all, we were on our way to breaking up. I mean, 20 years in, it was over. That's why
Starting point is 01:07:07 always, I can totally understand men that are divorced. And I'll be real, that ball was on the fence. It could have went this way, that way. Did you start to become, succumb to the temptation of Hollywood? Yeah. Oh, yeah. I mean, first of all, I had
Starting point is 01:07:24 nobody who was telling me, everybody was telling me I was great. Oh, man, don't worry about that, man. Oh, she tripping. You know what I mean? Anybody, I was like, oh, really? They're like, oh, man, look, you got money, you got this, you famous, what more she want? You see,
Starting point is 01:07:39 notice, that's people who don't live with her. There ain't nowhere in your circle. Man man she tripping and I'm going and you listen to that but I wasn't hearing her right and I wasn't hearing her heart and the thing is is that
Starting point is 01:07:55 the deal is can she have secrets and would I accept that see what I'm saying see I just flipped the script. Right. That's all you got to do. I tell people, man, it's so crazy.
Starting point is 01:08:10 For me, it was one of them things where I had to just flip it for a minute and go, I'm not being fair to her because she don't know the real me. And the thing is, I always felt like if she found out the real me, she'd leave. And then in a way, it was kind of like, see, see, yep. Now you know the real me and now you want to leave.
Starting point is 01:08:33 And she was like, no, no, in fact, I want to stay. But I got to go. I got to go. Oh, this is wild. And then i started to go to therapy now i'm coming out of football they telling me all this stuff i'm like this ain't me this crazy this is it and i realized yo it was me it was me bro lots of this stuff and she decided she said you know what I'm going to work it out
Starting point is 01:09:09 and I told her I said I understand if you didn't but I'm I am a new man and I'm going to show you the man that you thought you were married I'm the him now yep and I spent the last 14 years doing that.
Starting point is 01:09:26 And we're closer than that. I read you had to pawn your ring, your wedding band several times. You had friends. And that happens a lot. Because everybody has advice on what you should be doing that's not married. You got friends that's not married.
Starting point is 01:09:39 Man, if I had all that money, that fame, I ain't going to be listening to that. She got a nice car, got a big home, yada, yada, yada. Bro, but you're not married. I ain't taking advice from somebody that's hanging out every night because we're at two different places. Right. It's amazing how people who ain't where you at got all the advice in the world. Now, when you get there, they go, wait, wait, whoa.
Starting point is 01:10:03 No, I got to go home. I got to go home. I got to go home. Man, come on, man. But now you talk about when I was married and you weren't, you wanted to go kick it. You see what I mean? Look, look. All right, all right. First of all, I just realized more than ever, and this is the thing, too, because, again, at 55, it's different than 25.
Starting point is 01:10:21 Absolutely. You know, I've lived long enough to see people get it, win it, lose it, and you go, damn. You start to see the results. You know what I mean? We call winners way too early,
Starting point is 01:10:37 Shannon. Yes. Everybody, he won! He won! Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Give it just two more years and we'll see wait give it ten more years give it fifteen
Starting point is 01:10:47 more years I want again it's not how you start it's how you finish and I said man first of all
Starting point is 01:10:55 you can be an adult prodigy think about it everybody think about a prodigy as just a kid that knows all the math and they go
Starting point is 01:11:04 that's the kid no it's the math and they go that's the kid no it's the cat that's 60 70 right that's like now i know and but but wisdom and like that is not really valued in our society so you got to be 18 right you know what i mean your wife color is always a source is a subject that's brought up. For the record, she's black, correct? She's black, yes. Black mama, white daddy. I've been raised like that.
Starting point is 01:11:38 But again, just because she don't have that kind of look. Right. But her mama's black. She's from Gary, Indiana, bro. My wife was Miss Garyary indiana 1984 and the gary indiana is like flint yeah ain't nothing but black people and she was raised in black culture right see what i'm saying so it wasn't like she was raised in the outskirts how has she been able to deal with that for the better part of 40 years since she's met you how have you been able to deal with that for the better part of 40 years since she's met you how have you been able to deal with that because i know you hear it all the time i bet you don't she's he got a little
Starting point is 01:12:10 money he go get him a wife right right but but she knows that and that's the thing we got to understand even in gary they knew the problem is in gary they knew she was black right because they saw her mama right and mama go to school and then they go oh yeah shit and she was black. Right. Because they saw her mama. Right. And mama go to school and they go, oh yeah, she ain't black. And she got black friends. But when we go to a new town, they're like, oh, she's a white woman. I say, no, no. She's Obama. Right. Okay. But
Starting point is 01:12:35 she's also, we also have dealt with that. I'm just saying, it's one of them things where we went to join a church down here and people say, oh, he is a white woman. He's going to bring this white woman in his church. I was like, if you got that attitude, that might not be the church we want to get into. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 01:12:52 But we're already used to it. And this is another thing. And this is what I admire about her is that it never bothered her. She was like, I love black people and even if someone feel that I'm white I understand it wow
Starting point is 01:13:13 and it's deep to me and that's the way I had to start thinking because I would get angry but to watch her the way she dealt with things peacefully, like, I'm not going to go there. You know what? That's the trauma that they had to deal with.
Starting point is 01:13:35 And I understand it. I understand it. And I go, wow. But I love them anyway. I love them. I'm going to get you out of here on this. AGT, you've been at this for a minute now and you're great at it yeah and do you see more movies more tv
Starting point is 01:13:54 because it seems like you got a fairly i mean obviously i know how television worked you probably shoot two or three months out of the year yeah you wrap it and then you got an opportunity to do whatever you needed to do as far as tell a movie wise yeah i got a big big movie called the killer's game coming out next year me dave batista um sofia patella i'm a bad boy this way i can't wait uh assassin right um but you know the whole business is changing you know i remember when you know right now there's only like three movies in the theater right now i remember there used to be 10 correct 20 now streaming streaming different things and all this and that you know i are you okay with that i'm i'm okay with it no first of all the new new stuff it's new so don't i'm like quincy jones don't get mad on new stuff.
Starting point is 01:14:46 Let's keep going. You know what I'm saying? He did Frank Sinatra. He said, come on, Michael Jackson and whoever, Tevin Campbell. Let's keep going. I'm that dude. I love doing what I do. And a lot of times, I see it's kind of wild because the business is changing so fast.
Starting point is 01:15:05 And the thing is, I want to keep up. If we was doing everything on YouTube, let's do it. Look, the NFL is on YouTube. It is. Ain't that crazy? That's unthinkable. Amazon. Unthinkable.
Starting point is 01:15:15 Back to your Netflix too. Listen, don't hate on it. I don't hate on nothing, but I still am entertaining. I'm still doing movies. I'm still doing TV and I'm still acting. I'm still doing movies i'm still doing tv and i'm still acting i'm still hosting my thing is to create five six-way goals for me because i know one path is gonna be it's gonna get me through the other things so i can keep going right i thank god every i just did a a thing for the walking dead last year we shot shot it in Atlanta. I'm still acting.
Starting point is 01:15:46 I'm still doing all that stuff, man. Again, I wish we could do White Chicks too. I wish we could. I don't know if that kind of thing will happen. Like you said, different day, bro. Now I got to flow with what's happening now. You remember when we
Starting point is 01:16:01 were growing up, the sitcoms, all in the family and the Jefferson and the things that they said that ain't flat that ain't that ain't flat yeah they would never but now you know that's why i did a i did a pilot for cbs last year didn't get picked up um but then the strike happened yeah so we'll see what happens like you know this town's coming back so we'll see what happens. Like, you know, this town's coming back. So we'll see what happens now. But, hey man, I want to say this though. And I really, really want to thank you
Starting point is 01:16:32 for letting me tell that story about Dwayne and Gabrielle. Because I love them. And they showed me a whole other level of kindness that I didn't deserve. I'll be honest with you.
Starting point is 01:16:47 And I'm thankful for them. And it was so wild, man. I gave them the biggest hug. And I just said, man, thank you. You know, and just to tell that story and be able to tell it in the right context, because I know you sat down here with Dwayne, you know, and I got nothing but love for Gabrielle and Dwayne,
Starting point is 01:17:10 nothing but love and me and Rebecca. Thanks for stopping by club. Shay, Shay, Jay Cruz, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you. Thank you.
Starting point is 01:17:20 All my life. Grinding all my life. Sacrifice. Hustle. Pay the price. Want to slice. Got the roll of dice. That's why all my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice. That's why all my life I be grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, pay the price. Want a slice, got the roll of dice. That's why all my life I be grinding all my life. I'll see do it alone. So I'm bringing in all the big guns from NFL media like Colleen Wolfe. Subscribe today and you'll immediately be smarter and funnier than your friends. Listen now on the iHeartRad my podcast, Against the Rules, I'm exploring what it means to be a sports fan in America and what the rise of sports betting
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