Christian Keyes, an actor best known for creating and starring in the BET+ series All the Queen’s Men, went public late Friday with claims that he was sexually harassed “for years” by a “billionaire” Hollywood mogul.
In a Dec. 15 Instagram Live, Keyes did not name the alleged “predator,” but said he recorded some of their conversations with hidden devices. The actor alleged in his hour-long video statement that the mogul offered him $100,000 to take off his clothes.
“If you thought that Diddy s–t was crazy, you don’t even know,” Keyes said, referring to the four sexual abuse lawsuits recently filed against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs — who denied wrongdoing.
Related Story: Christian Keyes Responds to Criticism for Not Naming Alleged ‘Billionaire’ Predator
Keyes, 48, shared the video on his Instagram page and captioned the post, “This conversation needs to be had…”
The actor and model spoke of the “trauma” that comes from being harassed, and said he wanted to make a declaration about his traumatic experiences with “certain powers that be, that were moving inappropriately.”
“He was claiming that he had multiple young Black men on the payroll, and they just had to show up when he requested them to be there,” Keyes said, suggesting that the alleged predator paid men for intimate encounters.
“I’ve done my best to forgive this person, but it happens, it happens. It’s not just women that have to deal with it, it will be men sometimes, and it will be men tempting men,” he stated.
Keyes said instead of going along and achieving quick success, he took “the long way around” building a career, in order to “maintain my integrity.”
He went on to describe the man as a hero to many fans. “At some point it’s going to have to come out,” he said.
The actor then held up an image of a pen camera.
“I’ve kept one of these on me since ’05, whether it’s a keychain recorder or a pen, because most predators will check your phone,” he said. “Once the sexual harassment started, I was like, I gotta protect me, because I don’t want this person, as powerful as they are, to try and get in the way of my work.”
He alleged that the recordings prove he was harassed by a man with a voice that the public would easily recognize.
“I wasn’t working for him [at the time]. He showed up to my apartment and offered me $100,000 to take my clothes off. He said, ‘I don’t need to touch you, I just want to see you naked,'” Keyes alleged, adding that he declined the man’s proposition. The actor said he secretly recorded the incident after the man arrived at his doorstep to “offer” him a role.
He said the man tried to “climb in bed” with him in a separate incident and grabbed his genitals after he became inebriated during a party at the man’s house.
At one point, the actor’s eyes filled with tears and his voice began to crack.
Keyes said he wished he’d spoken out years ago and prevented other men from being preyed upon, but he was afraid. He said Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura’s lawsuit alleging sexual abuse gave him the courage to break his silence.
“This industry is something else,” said Keyes.
Later in the video, he wiped tears from his eyes and said he learned from the alleged predator how “not” to be a boss or executive.
“My concern is that this person is still doing it,” said Keyes. “He’s still a predator and it’s not okay. I wish I was brave enough to speak up back then.”
According to his IMDb page, Keyes made his feature film acting debut in 2005, in Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman. As mentioned, his credits also include All the Queen’s Men, and recurring roles in the television series Let’s Stay Together, Supernatural, In Contempt, The Family Business, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, The Young and the Restless, 9-1-1, Saints & Sinners, and All Rise.
Watch the video statement below from Christian Keyes. We embedded the footage from YouTube, in case Keyes later removes his Instagram post.
TC or WS
So, it’s gotta be Tyler Perry, right?
The nugget was dropped, Bam!
Byron Allen?
(Allegedly)
2005, here we are approaching 2024 and we find someone who walks around with a pin recorder? Sounds too much like a setup, and being in hollywood should be even more of a tell tell sign. I was in the jewelry business and seen it all, in the area of LA. Lot of blackmailing, and setups in the high end world. Only then, they were affordable… Now, celebrity lawyers and their political lackeys have even change laws making it easier to sue, regardless of facts… Here in Oklahoma we have an old saying: “It doesn’t pass the smell test”. Waiting to hear a slander case being brought against one of these celebrity so called lawyers and their clients…
If he ain’t saying who it is …..it doesn’t do anyone any good, and he’s still a coward!
Exactly. He wished he would’ve spoken out years ago to protect other people, yet he’s still not outing the person, and therefore still not protecting other people. I have no idea who this Christian Keyes is, but he’s not helping anyone unless he names names.
I would imagine everyone’s first guess is Tyler Perry, but there’s no confirmation of that yet.
Star? Never heard of him or the show he’s on. Like saying some random kid is a star because he was in a school play at this point.
AL Bundy was a star (in his mind) for scoring 4 touchdown in a single game at Polk High.
Who?
There are 7 black billionaires in the US. Three in entertainment; Oprah, Tyle Perry and Jay-Z.
Who said it was a black person?
The Whole world is in a period of EXPOSURE. I watched his video, very sad. Money and Power brings out the worst or the best in people.
A shakedown attempt, either for money and/or an acting gig.
“…with a voice the public would easily recognize”. I bet I wouldn’t! I don’t give any attention to actors or actresses or anyone in that industry outside of the entertainment product. I never heard of this homo and I probably never heard of the homo that harassed him.
“The actor said he secretly recorded the incident after the man arrived at his doorstep to “offer” him a role. He said the man tried to “climb in bed” with him in a separate incident and grabbed his genitals.”
Huh? If you’d already had one creepy encounter with this guy, how did you let him get anywhere near the bed you’re trying to sleep in a “separate incdident”..?
Something is not lining up with this story.
“The actor said he secretly recorded the incident after the man arrived at his doorstep to “offer” him a role. He said the man tried to “climb in bed” with him in a separate incident”
Huh? If you’d already had one creepy encounter with this guy, how did you let him get anywhere near the bed you’re trying to sleep in a “separate incident”..?
Something is not lining up with this story.
Scrolled down to see if he was ever in a Tyler Perry movie. Yep.
A Kardashian?
Name names or it never happened
There was a time when a real man would handle this by beating the other mans ass with his bare hands….not these spineless betas go on the internet and cry about it. BE A DAMN MAN!!!
yep… seems there’s always a gray area many of these celebs were willing to dabble in for sake of $$ and opportunity until they ‘made it’ and then threaten or hint they might make it known… how many more had to be hurt and defrauded in the meantime?
tyler perry look gay af