LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 11: Actor Terry Crews attends Variety's 5th annual Power of Comedy presented by TBS benefiting the Noreen Fraser Foundation at The Belasco Theater on December 11, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images for Variety)
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Story highlights
Football player-turned-actor Terry Crews says he overcame an addiction to pornography
Crews: "It affected everything. My wife was literally like, 'I don't know you anymore' "
(CNN) —
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” actor Terry Crews is opening up about his addiction to pornography, which he says “really, really messed up my life.”
In a new series of videos posted to Facebook, the former NFL player says he had to go to rehab for his addiction, which consumed him and threatened his marriage.
“Some people say, ‘Hey, man … you can’t really be addicted to pornography.’ But I’m gonna tell you something: If day turns into night and you are still watching, you probably have got a problem. And that was me,” he said.
“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.”
Crews said he kept his porn habit secret from everyone, including his wife. He and singer Rebecca King Crews have been married since 1990 and have five children.
“It affected everything. My wife was literally like, ‘I don’t know you anymore. I’m out of here.’ I had to change,” said the muscled actor, who added that he quit viewing porn six or seven years ago. “I literally had to go to rehab for it.”
Crews revealed his porn addiction publicly in 2014, but his new confessional videos have brought heightened attention to his struggles. His first Facebook video, posted two weeks ago, has attracted almost 3 million views and more than 10,000 comments.
“Thank you so much for this message, Terry. Your honesty humbles me,” said one man on Facebook. “I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs. But I have wrestled for years - YEARS - with pornography. I am grateful today to say that I have a very specific sobriety date and I have stayed clean for some time now. I work at it every day and I do everything I can to remove its power and hold.”
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Probably one of the most-used words in Hollywood -- aside from "scandal" -- is "rehab." It seems nearly every celebrity has sought treatment at one point or another, although reasons can vary from substance abuse to mental health to simply "undisclosed." Singer Chaka Khan entered rehab for "a dependence on prescription pain medications," according to her website.
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"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" actor Terry Crews has admitted in a series of Facebook videos that he has sought treatment for a porn addiction that "messed up my life."
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MTV's "Total Request Live" may be a distant memory, but Mariah Carey's bizarre 2001 appearance on the program can't be forgotten. That year, Carey rolled onto the "TRL" set wheeling an ice-cream cart and wearing an oversized T-shirt, taking host Carson Daly completely by surpise. After the awkward interview -- during which Daly repeatedly asked her, "What are you doing?!" -- Carey went into rehab for what was initially described as an emotional and physical breakdown. The singer later clarified that the only thing that was wrong with her was exhaustion.
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After announcing her split from Ashton Kutcher in November 2011, Demi Moore was under such stress that she pulled out of a film project and went to rehab the next January. "Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health," her rep said at the time.
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Britney Spears' stint in rehab is now among the most famous, so it might be hard to consider this "surprising." But remember that, at the time, Spears' behavior was much more erratic, and the only thing that was certain was that she was going through some things. Before she "voluntarily checked herself into an undisclosed rehab facility" in 2007, Spears reportedly checked into Eric Clapton's Crossroads treatment facility in Antigua but left after just a day, headed to Florida and then infamously shaved her head.
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It's unclear whether Dean McDermott was trying to address the rumors that he'd cheated on wife Tori Spelling when he announced that he was going to rehab in January 2014 or if that was just unfortunate timing. Either way, the reality star and actor has said that he's seeking help for "some health and personal issues" and that he's "truly sorry for the mistakes I have made and for the pain I've caused my family."
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In 2012, singer LeAnn Rimes voluntarily entered a treatment program to deal with stress and anxiety after enduring nonstop scrutiny for her marriage to Eddie Cibrian.
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When no one was looking, Zac Efron slipped into rehab in 2013 to receive treatment for undisclosed reasons. By January 2014, Efron said he was feeling like a new man.
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In January 2014, singer Ke$ha announced that she was seeking treatment for an eating disorder and canceled upcoming concert stops in order to stay on track.
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Heather Locklear has entered rehab for both substance abuse and psychological issues. In 2008, she headed for an Arizona treatment facility to contend with anxiety and depression and sought care again in 2012, although her reps said it was not an inpatient program.
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David Duchovny admitted entering rehab for sex addiction in 2008, saying in a statement at the time that he "voluntarily entered a facility for ... treatment." Interestingly, he was simultaneously portraying a womanizing writer on Showtime's "Californication."
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Eva Mendes' 2008 trip to rehab caught many off-guard, and what was even more puzzling was the lack of clarity about what she was seeking treatment for. Mendes' silence led to plenty of theories, many of which involved allegations of substance abuse, but the actress brushed them off. "There are so many lies out there regarding my recent trip to Cirque Lodge," she told Interview magazine in 2008. "But I don't care what people think. I just don't care. So I will neither confirm nor deny."
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Like fellow actress Eva Mendes, Kirsten Dunst spent part of 2008 seeking treatment at Utah's Cirque Lodge facility. At the time, it was speculated that Dunst's stay was prompted by too much partying, but the actress later said that she was suffering from depression.
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In 2004, amid gossip about her frighteningly frail physique, Mary-Kate Olsen checked into an undisclosed rehab facility to seek treatment for an eating disorder. "This is a challenge that Mary-Kate has made a decision to face," her rep told People magazine at the time. "This is a challenge she will meet."
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Tiger Woods declined to say why he spent 45 days in rehab around the start of 2010, but given his admission to having multiple extramarital affairs, it wasn't long before the public tried to fill in the blanks. Woods, however, said that he went to rehab "to take a hard look at myself. And I did, and I've come out better."
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In 2011, "American Pie" star Seann William Scott checked himself into rehab to confront "health and personal issues." His 30-day stay didn't change his sense of humor, though: he later joked with the UK's Independent that he'd been addicted to watching his own movies. "Have you ever seen 'The Dukes of Hazzard'?" he said. "Don't, it's f*****g terrible."
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“Thanks for putting this out there and congratulations on finding recovery,” said a female commenter. “This horrible plague killed my marriage. Glad you decided to fight. We need more voices bringing awareness. There is a silent war being fought and the casualties are families and relationships.”
Crews posted two more videos thanking fans for their support and trying to answer their questions.
“Women, you need to be fearless. You need to confront your man about this problem,” he said in the second clip, recorded while he drove around Los Angeles in a convertible. “You cannot accept any pornography in your life.”
In the third video, posted Tuesday, Crews described porn as “an intimacy killer.”
“Every time I watched it, I was walled off. It was like another brick that came between me and my wife. And the truth is, everything you need for intimacy is in your (partner).”
Rebecca King Crews has not referenced her husband’s addiction in any of her recent social media posts. She posted a photo of her and Crews on Instagram last week with the caption “Love my boo!”
Crews, 47, played for six years in the NFL in the 1990s before launching a career as an actor. He has appeared in dozen of movies, including “White Chicks,” “Bridesmaids” and “The Expendables” and its sequels. He also had a recurring role on the TV series “Everybody Hates Chris” and has been featured in several Old Spice commercials.
