Terry Crews is a well-known actor, Emmy nominee, and writer that has been very popular over the last decades, he and Chris Rock have been friends for a long time, he played the part of Chris’s father on the hit comedy “Everybody Hates Chris“, the show created and written by Chris Rock.

He is friends with both Chris Rock and Will Smith

However, he mentions that he is not taking sides on the Oscars slap debacle that happened on the 94th Academy Awards show where Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock during the presentation of the Best Documentary award where he made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith

“Both Will Smith and Chris Rock are dear, dear friends of mine,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview while presenting his book. “I love them both as brothers, but there was a time in my life [where] I was Will Smith at that moment, and let me tell you, I’ve done worse than Will.”

He believes that they were too hard on Smith

“Way overkill, just … the punishment did not fit the crime. Like, people were like, ‘What in the world are you doing?’ My wife even had to be like, ‘You got to promise me you will never go off like this. You did not need to pick this man up and put him on his head, on the concrete. ” Terry mentions.

He also stated that Chris Rock saved Hollywood by not retaliating against Smith

Rock did not do anything after the aggression or even once the award ceremony was over.

“When I look back, by what Chris did, by just deciding to hold everything together, it actually, I think in a lot of ways saved Hollywood,” Crews commented “Because if there would’ve been a brawl on that stage, I don’t know if Hollywood would’ve ever gotten any respect again, you know? It’s hard to even imagine what would’ve happened.”

He has been in both Smith and Rock’s shoes

“The definition of toughness where I grew up and the way I was, it was always the ability to strike, the ability to punch, the ability to set things straight, to even the score,” he said. “But the true definition of toughness was what Chris did in taking a punch and then holding everything together and then showing tremendous endurance and resilience in the middle of obstacles.”

When I look back, by what Chris did, by just deciding to hold everything together, it actually, I think in a lot of ways saved Hollywood

Terry Crews

“I think it was a miracle what Chris did. I really do. I couldn’t believe his poise at that moment. I thought, holy cow, we owe him a lot. I think every performer owes him so much because it just really saved Hollywood in that moment. I’m very thankful to Chris, but also I understand Will. I’m not [one] to demonize Will at all because I was there,” Crews continued.

He was allegedly groped by a talent agent

He has also been in a situation where he could have chosen violence but decided to stay calm and not take the route of aggression when a talent agent named Adam Venit allegedly groped him during a party in 2016.

“I chose to be in control. I chose to hold everything together. It could have descended into chaos. It would’ve been the end of me,” Crews stated.