Actor Terry Crews chimed in with his thoughts on fatherhood, family values and the the women’s rights movement during a lengthy series of tweets over the weekend.
The “Everybody Hates Chris” star initially said that children who grow up in single-parent households are “malnourished,” something he later apologized for, saying that his initial tweet was “poorly worded.”
However, Crews continued to drive home his point about the importance of fatherhood while fighting back against charges of homophobia and transphobia. (RELATED: Terry Crews Responds With Total Class After Rapper 50 Cent Mocks His Sexual Assault Claim [VIDEO])
Fatherhood is not toxic https://t.co/guhYZVH6nt
— terry crews (@terrycrews) March 2, 2019
You apparently thought I was your puppet. But I have a mind of my own, and can see and think very clearly.
The “phobic” tag is the most feared public tag next to racist.
I don’t fear it because I am neither.
Bullies come in all shapes and sizes. https://t.co/wuBRM2SdEo
— terry crews (@terrycrews) March 2, 2019
Crews also touched on fatherhood in the black community.
“So all the Black kids growing up without dads or paternal love are just fine? So we just let all these dads off the hook?” Crews said. “Just because women can do it all alone— and they have done an amazing job— does that mean they should?”
Crews’ tweets were met with a fierce progressive backlash, with some accusing the actor of bigotry.
It’s 2019 and people are still championing biological essentialism as if it is not the main source of the gendered oppression they protest against.
*stares at Terry Crews*
Please let us not be boring.
— #FreeStellaNyanzi (@brendawambui) March 3, 2019
Terry Crews Calls Children with Same-Sex Parents ‘Severely Malnourished’
https://t.co/c3Ez0Giyt7 pic.twitter.com/TkKV6iyaoY— Towleroad (@tlrd) March 3, 2019
For people who think what @terrycrews said yday is not a big deal, FYI he is reiterating my very first experience with homophobia, which was one of the only other #BlackandSTEM women scientists in my summer program telling me that my queerness meant I would have messed up kids pic.twitter.com/Tj3FC6FDb0
— Chanda Prescod-Weinstein ????????♀️ ???????????? (@IBJIYONGI) March 2, 2019
Crews is a devout Christian who has spoken publicly about his faith and his battle with porn addiction.
Crews has also been open about being the victim of an alleged sexual assault in Hollywood by a prominent male executive at a party in 2016. Crews was part of a group of people named TIME’s person of the year in 2017, sharing the honor with others who claim to be survivors of sexual assault.