Terry Crews was busting with man-ism on Friday, May 10, at the Anatole. As guests gathered in the Wedgwood Room for the VIP meet-and-greet, the former NFL player was the consummate man’s man as he talked with Genesis Women’s Shelter CEO Jan Langbein. His lavender pocket square matched his lavender shirt with white curved collar. Over in another part of the room, Terry’s wife Rebecca King-Crews chatted with Genesis staffers. Like her husband, she was a standout with her pink hair, statuesque presence and perfect smile. No one would have guessed this pair had traveled a daunting road in their marriage. But that would be revealed an hour later at the Genesis Women’s Annual Luncheon in the Chantilly Ballroom for 1,500 guests.
As guests queued up for their photo opp with the man-of-the-hour, Crews chatted with Dallas County Commissioners Judge Clay Jenkins and Dr. Elba Garcia and Dallas District Attorney John Creuzot, Co-Chair family Robyn and Don Conlon gathered their kids (Lizzie and Casey Conlon, Megan and Keith Conlon and Kevin and Marybeth Conlon, who was fresh from a Mother’s Day tea with her six-year-old son).
When Jane Doe Awardee Cynt Marshall arrived for her photo with Crews, she started doing her signature dance moves to Crews’ delight.
As the chimes peeled that the reception was done, guests like Gail Turner with Jessica Turner Waugh, Beth and Chuck Thoele, Ken Marshall, Nikki Webb, Gail Davis, Tricia George, Angie Kadesky, Christie Carter, Pat McEvoy, Shelle Sills, Lisa Cooley, Ciara Cooley, Jan Hegi with Libby Hegi, Stacey Walker, Lisa Ogle with Nina Thornburgh, Tucker Enthoven with Julie Ford, Di Johnston, Vicky Lattner and Nancy Carter, moved into the Chantilly Ballroom that was a bouquet of red, white and pink floral delight.
Following a welcome by Robyn and Don and the invocation by Rev. Sheron “Amen” Patterson, lunch was served.
Just past noon Jan reported how the annual Jane Doe Award had been presented the night before to Cynt. With that Cynt appeared on stage and told how years ago she had been a child whose mother had escaped with her children from an abusive relationship. In closing, she said, “I am a Jane Doe.”
Next HeRO Founder/2019 HeRO recipient Crayton Webb was joined on stage by Terry for a chat. With just a handful of questions proposed by Crayton, Terry told of his journey that nearly damaged his home.
Growing up in Flint, Michigan, his father’s job as a factory worker and being an alcoholic had resulted in Terry’s not only witnessing his father physically abuse Terry’s mother, but also established a fear for his own life.
The result was Terry took this to mean that women didn’t matter and that physical power was the measure of his manhood.
As he described it, Terry became a “toxic male” yelling at his children as if they were adults, becoming a porn addict and an A-1 narcissist.
The turning point took place when Rebecca had had enough of his behavior and announced that she was leaving him. At that point in the conversation, he said that like the Genesis clients, she was so committed to leaving an abusive relationship, she was doing it with only the clothes on her back.
While Crayton interjected some one-liners to lighten the discussion, many in the audience were unable to hear him due to the acoustics.
As the conversation ended, Crayton presented Terry with a HeRO pin.