Terry Crews Reflects On How Abusive Father Prompted Him To Focus On Health, Fitness

Terry Crews got candid about his painful childhood and what prompted him to prioritize his health and fitness.

Crews appeared on Monday's episode of "Running Wild with Bear Grylls" where he explored the Icelandic Highlands. During his conversation with the host, the "White Chicks" star opened up about his difficult childhood and the painful reason why he is so into fitness.

"After my time in the NFL, one thing I noticed is that if you make everything sports-specific, all of sudden, when the sport is over, guys just waste away," he was quoted by People as telling Bear Grylls. "You've got to understand, there was a time in my life where I got overweight because I was depressed. I'm depressed, I need something, I need a change, I need to go to the gym 21 days straight. That 21-day period turned into 21 years."

Crews added that he only wanted more and he was also preparing for when he gets the chance to fight his father. Apparently, his dad was abusive and used to hit his mom. In a bid to protect his mother, Crews wanted to be in his best shape, he thought about it since he was 5 years old.

"You've got to know, growing up [for me] was not a good experience. My father was very abusive. He used to beat my mother. So it was one of those things where I knew I had to get stronger because one day I thought I'd have to fight him. That's how it started out," he explained.

"I always, always had been like, 'Be fit, be ready, be prepared, be there.' But even then it's hard, because certain things did trip me up that I had to get over."

Crews and his dad, Terry Crews Sr., have already moved on from their complicated relationship. In an essay for HuffPost in 2014, "The Expendables" star detailed his relationship with his dad and how he eventually forgave him.

"I started giving Big Terry credit for what he did do. He was a good earner. He was a good provider. I never excused what had been wrong, but also being able to see the positive finally changed my perspective. It changed my view of our story," he wrote.

Crews admitted that if he had a choice, he would still choose his father. They had an emotional talk and after it, his father changed and they have since enjoyed a better father and son relationship.

"As much as I had longed for an apology from my father for all of those years, I had never really thought it was possible. But by finding my own compassion for him, I had broken down everything that needed to be broken within him," he added.