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Beloved actor, activist, and former athlete, Terry Crews, is speaking up again about the harmful effects of porn, and we’re here for it.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, PEOPLE reported that the actor talked about themes in his new audio memoir, Stronger Together, which he recorded alongside wife Rebecca King-Crews, including the framework of how he views his former porn addiction.
When Jimmy Kimmel jokingly asked if Crews misses watching porn, Crews said, “Not anymore — there were times when I did. I’m good now!” Crews, 52, told Jimmy Kimmel after the host jokingly asked whether he missed watching porn.
Crews went on to explain that “once you know what it does,” it then becomes easier to understand the damage it can do, as well as handle any fallout.
“The trick is, you think it’s great,” he said. “Everything works for you until it doesn’t, and that was one of the things I really wanted to get out [there].”
See the clip for yourself. Note that while the interview discusses political and legislative-related issues, Fight the New Drug is non-legislative.
Another stand-out quote from his interview:
“But I have to tell you this … people think it’s a willpower issue, but it’s not. It’s literally a lack-of-information issue,” Crews said. Then Kimmel and he briefly talk about the negative effects of porn on consumers.
But this isn’t the first time he’s sounded the alarm on porn.
Why Terry Crews encouraged people to have a #PornFreeQuarantine in 2020
Last year, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Crews spoke up about the harms of porn as people became more isolated an in their homes. At the time, Pornhub and porn sites just like it ramped up their marketing game and gave out free premium site subscriptions, and
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And here he is again, wearing one of our conversation-starting tees:
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During his Instagram live last April, Crews talked about how he was exposed to porn at a young age, like so many people are, and how it negatively affected him for years afterward. He explained how the age of first exposure has gotten younger and younger, so much so that the vast majority of people are exposed to hardcore internet porn well before the age of 18.
Crews also talked about how porn can cause consumers to view people as products, and he echoed the research that shows how porn can rewire the consumer’s brain to need more porn and more hardcore versions of it to get the same “high.”
Related: “People Become Objects”: Why Terry Crews Wants You To Stop Watching Porn
Crews clarified that he isn’t a supporter of banning porn—neither is Fight the New Drug—but that he’s a supporter of people getting the facts and making an educated decision for themselves.
After facing many years of addiction and a tumultuous marriage that almost ended in divorce due to his porn consumption, Crews was able to break free and go on to be the success that he is today. And now he wants other people to break free from porn, too, which is why he encouraged everyone to have a #PornFreeQuarantine.
In the last year, we interviewed Terry Crews for our podcast, Consider Before Consuming. Listen to our podcast interview with him right here:
“My Dirty Little Secret”
Crews first started being candid about his lifelong addiction to pornography in his book Manhood, published in 2014. He talked openly about how he was first addicted to porn at the age of 12 years old and how it continued all the way into adulthood, eventually deeply affecting his marriage to his wife, Rebecca.
Throughout the last years, Crews has utilized Facebook’s live video feature to talk to his 8 million+ followers about his “dirty little secret,” as he calls it. Crews has live-streamed more than 7 real talk sessions solely about his past struggle with pornography, how it affected his life, and how he broke free.
Related: What Happens When The World Mixes COVID-19, Anxiety, And Pornography?
“This thing has become a problem, I think it’s a worldwide problem,” Terry said in his first Dirty Little Secret video in 2015. “Pornography really messed up my life in a lot of ways. Some people deny it and say, ‘Hey man you can’t really be addicted to pornography, there’s no way.’ But I’ll tell you something: if day turns into night and you’re still watching, you probably got a problem. And that was me.”
He talked about how pornography consumed his life by becoming a secret that he was able to keep hidden for years. Despite being able to keep it a secret from everyone, he said that it started to corrupt his relationship with his wife.
“My wife was literally like, ‘I don’t know you anymore, I’m out of here,’” he continued. “This is a major, major problem, I literally had to go to rehab for it.”
“My issue was, and is with pornography,” Crews continued, “Is that it changes the way you think about people. People become objects, people become body parts; they become things to be used rather than people to be loved.”
After some deep reflection and going to rehab for multiple issues—porn being one of them—Crews was able to reconcile with his wife, and they’re happily married to this day.
Related: Why Comedian Chris Rock Doesn’t Watch Porn Anymore
He encouraged porn consumers to put the issue out into the light and break free by no longer keeping it a secret. He concluded by saying he didn’t quit porn to get his wife back, but to get his life back.
Why This Matters
We applaud Terry Crews for choosing to use his globally recognized platform to talk about the real scientific harms of pornography. His words have been a huge step in the right direction for our generation that has grown up with unlimited access to internet porn, and he’s an anti-shame light in the darkness.
By having people like Terry be bold enough to take a stand on this issue, we are seeing conversations getting started and perceptions starting to change.
Join Terry Crews and learn about the harmful effects of porn! What do you have to lose?
Need help?
For those reading this who feel they are struggling with pornography, you are not alone. Check out Fortify, a science-based recovery platform dedicated to helping you find lasting freedom from pornography. Fortify now offers a free experience for both teens and adults. Connect with others, learn about your unwanted porn habit, and track your recovery journey. There is hope—sign up today.
Fight the New Drug may receive financial support from purchases made using affiliate links.
