The actor Terry Crews rules his lawsuit against the powerful Hollywood agent who allegedly groped him

Terry Crews arrives in Beverly Hills, California, in November 2017. (Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP)

In one series of tweets, Brooklyn star Nine-Nine exposed her own allegations of sexual harassment. At a party in 2016, a "high level Hollywood executive" went to Crews and "searched my soldiers," wrote the actor. Crews later publicly identified the executive as Adam Venit, a long-time industry actor who represented such names as Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Eddie Murphy and Vince Vaughn. Crews then filed a police report on the incident, as well as a lawsuit against Venit and his agency, William Morris Endeavor.

But the revelation of Crews echoed well beyond his own case. His public position blew up stereotypes by showing that a former 240-pound NFL player could also be a victim of sexual assault, thus expanding the reach of the #MeToo movement. Time included Crews among the "silent breakers" named in the magazine's feature film of the year.

The legal case of Crews is now over. On Thursday, William Morris Endeavor announced that the trial was settled.

"Terry Crews, Adam Venit and WME settled the lawsuit filed by Mr. Crews last year," the agency said in a statement, according to the Hollywood Reporter. "He will be fired."

According to Deadline, Venit also plans to withdraw from WME on Monday. He had already been suspended and demoted as a result of Crews' allegation.

After the news of the settlement and the release of Venit, Crews replied on Twitter with one word: "RESPONSIBILITY," he writes.

Crews has always emphasized this theme since his speech.

"People must be held accountable," said the actor at "Good Morning America" ​​last November. "It is the case of Hollywood. It's an abuse of power. This guy, again, he is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood and he's looked at me in the end as if "Who will you believe?"

"The aggression lasted only a few minutes, but what he was saying to me while holding my genitals in his hand was that he held the power. That he was in control, "Crews told the Senate Judiciary Committee this summer. "In telling my story, I have been told repeatedly that it was not an abuse. It was just a joke. It was just horse. But I can say that riding a man is the humiliation of another.

In his lawsuit, filed last December, Crews recounted his alleged meeting with the star agent. "Venit, at its first crew meeting, brutally seized the penis and testicles of Crews, which caused Crews immediate pain in a blatant and unprovoked sexual assault," said the lawsuit.

Crews, who was not Venit's client, reportedly told his agent the next day. But the agency's action did nothing, according to his trial, in the context of "the corporate culture that encourages environments in which WME agents are knowingly allowed and encouraged to make mistakes, including predatory sexual behaviors ".

In court records, Venit denied the allegations, reports Associated Press.

According to the reporter, a criminal investigation into the assault carried out by the Los Angeles Police Department began last November. In March, prosecutors announced that they were in the process of declining criminal charges because of the "expiration of the statute of limitations for criminal cases".

But the allegations also triggered an internal review at WME. The journalist wrote that the agency's internal review determined that Crews' allegation about Venit was "indicative of a trend rather than an isolated event". The agent was removed from his position as head of the agency's film group.

Venit's demotion – and now its exit – from the industry represented an important dive for a man who was a considerable force in Hollywood for more than three decades. According to Deadline, the agent started working in the mailroom of Creative Artists Agency in 1986 after dropping out of law school. He then represented some of the biggest stars of the cinema.