Actress and activist Robin Givens opened up to ET's Kevin Frazier regarding the Ray Rice controversy.
Actress and activist Robin Givens opened up to ET's Kevin Frazier regarding the Ray Rice controversy.
VIDEO: Terry Crews Talks Ray Rice
"I want to say I was shocked, but then in many respects I've sort of been there," Givens said when asked about her reaction to the video showing Rice knocking his then-fianee Janay Palmer unconscious.
Since leaving her allegedly abusive marriage with Mike Tyson in the late '80s, Givens has dedicated time to work on behalf of women, children and families facing challenges of domestic violence.
"I really feel a bond with not only Janay but certainly all women that are in this situation," said Givens.
NEWS: Seth Rogen Has a Few Choice Words for Ray Rice
Prior to the whole video being made public, Rice was only given a two game suspension, which, for Givens, pointed out a problem in sports culture.
"I [thought], 'Here we go,'" said Givens. "I kind of [thought], 'Ok, so was this all we're going to do?' And you kind of think, 'Once again it sort of doesn't mean very much to people.' And then I also feel a little disappointment -- definitely disappointment."
Since the video was made public, Rice has been terminated by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended by the NFL indefinitely but Givens points out that there is still more progress to be made.
"This is never ever, ever acceptable," Givens continued. "There's nothing you can say, no skirt that you wear that was too short ... Hitting is never ever ever acceptable. This is a human rights issue. This cannot happen. And I've always believed that it's when men get involved in the discussion, and when men say this is unacceptable, when you can't sit around in the locker room and say, 'Hey, did you see what I did?' or, 'Hey, she deserved it,' that is when people really grab hold of the conversation. And I think that is kind of what this video does. The fact that we have football now saying, 'No, you can't do this.' I think it takes us to another level in this conversation."
Tune into ET tomorrow night for more.