UPDATED — 2:20 PM 12/21/2023
Christian Keyes responded to BOSSIP’s Instagram post about this story and wrote, “Not accurate at all….I didn’t “clear” anyone.”
The identity of the alleged harasser remains unclear.
Below this line, the original story begins.
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Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
All The Queen’s Men star Christian Keyes is apparently reluctant to reveal the identity of the powerful “billionaire” at the center of his sexual harassment claims because it will “break hearts.” He did however like a tweet that seemingly cleared the name of a billionaire bigwig that people are speculating is the culprit.
On Dec. 19, the 48-year-old actor hopped into the comments section of The Neighborhood Talk after the outlet reposted the emotional Instagram video in which he accused a powerful Hollywood “billionaire” of being “shady and predatory.” He also claimed that the unidentified Tinseltown giant offered him $100,000 to strip and tried to climb in bed with him.
“If I say who it is, it would break y’all hearts,” Keyes penned alongside a glaring eye emoji.
While some fans sympathized with the actor’s reluctance, a few social media users pondered whether Keyes was intentionally withholding the name of his alleged harasser to gain clout and attention.
“He’s treating this like a game… SMDH. People deal with abuse on the REGULAR. Speak out and let it go or just say it,” one user wrote in the comments section.
Another person penned,
“I still don’t understand the point of saying something and not saying it all. People are saying it was brave. Brave is putting everything out there and whatever happens happens. Let the Cassie & Diddy situation be your guide.”
A third netizen wrote, “It’s giving…. I’m waiting for someone to pay me for my story to be honest. Not saying it ain’t happen but why you in the comments with emojis…or am I trippin.'”
Keyes’ harassment claims however are no laughing matter.
Source: Leon Bennett / Getty
On Dec. 15, Keyes — who made his acting debut in Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman — told fans that his acting career was impacted after he refused to take off his clothes for someone famous in Hollywood.
“I wasn’t working for him the month and the year that he showed up to my apartment and offered me $100,000 to take my clothes off. ‘I don’t even need to touch you. I just want to see you naked.’ I declined,” Keyes said. “I recorded it because I didn’t trust him. I told him no over and over, but he would still always try s**t. So, if people don’t believe me, they can hear him in his voice. I have always kept something on me.”
— Christian Keyes (@ChristianKeyes) December 21, 2023
In another alleged incident, Keyes claimed that the mysterious “billionaire” tried to climb in bed with him after he got too drunk during an event at the Hollywood big wig’s home. The actor’s alleged harasser attempted to blame his behavior on drinking too much alcohol. After trying to forgive and leave with a handshake, Keyes alleged that the man grabbed his penis instead of his hand.
“I’m not blaming myself for saying no. I’m not blaming myself for almost quitting acting. I’m mad at myself for not being brave enough to say something sooner. That’s the only thing I regret,” Keyes added.
Christian Keyes Likes A Tweet Saying “I Don’t Believe It Was TP [Tyler Perry]”
A few days after the star went live, Keyes liked an X post about Perry not being his harasser.
Watching Christian Keyes & can tell he is clearly a victim…only $3 grand to his name & violated by a gay billionaire 🥺 & no I don't believe it was TP…I wish Christian would have taken action…that man will still have his money & good name & Christian will remain broken pic.twitter.com/FLLpxfIX1l
— It Tis What it Tis (@DaGoddess100) December 16, 2023
In addition to the tweet, Christian Keyes also recently recalled an interview he did where he spoke on how his childhood made him “easy prey” for his harasser.
Hit the flip for his words.
Christian Keyes Recently Opened Up About His Traumatic Childhood, Said It Made Him “Easy Prey”
On Dec. 20, the Detroit native took to Instagram with an emotional clip from a November interview he conducted with Atlanta Black Star, in which he discussed his difficult childhood growing up in the foster care system. Keyes spoke about the abuse he endured at the hands of his first adoptive mother, Mrs. Keyes, and the emotional wounds he developed as a result.
Source: Variety / Getty
“Mrs. Keyes was incredibly abusive. I mean, bat, hammer, broomstick, saucepan, bottle. When the belt didn’t … when it wasn’t as effective as she wanted—when it didn’t make us scream loud enough she would hold the leather side and beat us with the belt buckle. It gets worse,” the playwright and screenwriter recalled of his rough upbringing. “But it was that kind of environment between 8 and 12. So by 9, I started running away. By 10, I was pretty good. By 11, I was a professional runaway.
While out on the street, Keyes would resort to stealing food from the supermarket or eating out of garbage cans to survive. The multi-hyphenate said he slept behind the bleachers of his school for refuge.
Keyes ran away for years until “Child Protective Services” finally “believed” him.
“Child Protective Services, man, they dropped the ball probably a dozen times. Neighbors complained because she would have, as a punishment, she made me walk down the street naked in the rain at 9 years old to ask a neighbor for a magazine — The Watchtower and Awake — Ask another Jehovah’s Witness family,” the actor added to Atlanta Black Star.
“It took a couple of decades to build my self-esteem back up and to heal from all that. And it was heavy and painful. But I was so happy to get out of there.”
In the caption, Keyes claimed that “powerful people” like his alleged Hollywood harasser often prey on people with “traumatic childhoods.”
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
“Maybe it’ll be a little easier to understand why it was difficult to speak up about it, difficult to find the courage. These powerful people target people with traumatic childhoods, and use that to bond with them and earn their trust, then they try their “attempts,” the actor penned on Instagram.
“Once you go through anything like I went through, for years as a kid. This new trauma can almost make you shut down again. And even though in the moment, you find the strength to say NO to the attempt, you still may not be strong enough to speak up, or brave enough.”
Keyes continued:
“Worrying about if this person was going to take away, my livelihood, worrying about how many other people are out there that weren’t strong enough to say no and they actually said yes. Is this person still doing it… still pressuring people to walk away from their integrity, and their morals, for an opportunity… you pray and gather the strength to speak up, and most people are in your corner and believe you.”
The actor said he wasn’t going to respond to “ignorant or negative” comments about his harassment story.
“I just pray that those people never have to experience themself or never have any family members that go through anything this traumatic, and then they have people, talking ish about them, who don’t even know them,” he added.
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