As video of Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee unconscious continues to spark discussion about domestic abuse, actor and former NFL player Terry Crews weighed in on the scandal, recalling the violence of his own childhood, Entertainment Tonight reports.

The Brooklyn Nine-Nine star has always been open about the abuse his mother faced at the hands of his father throughout his childhood, and said the Rice video brought up old feelings in him.

“When I saw the video I was immediately taken back to my childhood,” he said. “This is the way I grew up. I used to watch this happen over and over again. It was a post-traumatic-stress experience for me. I used to watch my father hit my mother in the face and watch her go down, and there was some things that just affected me more than I don’t think anyone could realize.”

Crews spoke critically about NFL culture, and sports culture in general, which, he says, does not value women as much as star players are valued.

“I mean, it’s weird because you think of how this cult pact works, and there are always ways to get back in—especially in the NFL. I’ve seen major transgressions done and people still play. The NFL culture, the sports culture, has decided that they are more valuable than women,” the 46-year-old told Entertainment Tonight when asked if Rice would ever play in the league again.

“I’ve heard people laugh about keeping their pimp hand strong and keeping her in control so that she knows her place. But think about how evil that is for one man to think that he’s actually more valuable than a woman, because as a human being your worth is immeasurable.”

The actor also offered his own views on Janay Rice’s defense of her now-husband. Janay Rice blasted the media for forcing her family to “relive a moment in our lives that we regret” and telling people to butt out.

“I’m not saying it could never work,” Crews told the news site cautiously. “I’m not saying that they could never overcome all of these problems, because it is possible, but I am saying that she needs real help. It is way too quick to call it a wonderful life now.”

Source: The Root