Ellen Pompeo, the star of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," is set to make over $20 million a year after signing a new deal with the network, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 

ABC has ordered a 15th and 16th season for the series as a part of its new deal with Pompeo, who will become a producer on the show for the first time while starring as the show's eponymous lead, Meredith Grey. 

Pompeo's new contract will also make her the highest-paid actress on a primetime drama series, according to THR. 

Her contract includes a $575,000 per-episode deal, along with a seven-figure signing bonus and an estimated $6 million to $7 million in backend equity for the series.

"I'm 48 now, so I've finally gotten to the place where I'm OK asking for what I deserve, which is something that comes only with age. Because I'm not the most 'relevant' actress out there," Pompeo told THR in an interview about her deal. "I know that's the industry perception because I've been this character for 14 years. But the truth is, anybody can be good on a show season one and two. Can you be good 14 years later? Now, that's a f---in' skill."

Pompeo told THR that she has had to fight for her pay over time. At one point, she said she was denied a raise by ABC after asking for $5,000 more than the salary of her costar Patrick Dempsey, whom she was making less than at the time.

"I asked for $5,000 more than him just on principle, because the show is 'Grey's Anatomy' and I'm Meredith Grey," Pompeo said. "They wouldn't give it to me."

In 2017, Pompeo ranked as the fourth highest-earning actress in TV, with $13 million earned between June 2016 and June 2017, according to Forbes.

Check out how Pompeo fared in the 2017 list from Forbes below: 

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10. Pauley Perrette ($8.5 million)

Perrette earned her six-figure salary from playing forensic scientist Abby Sciuto on "NCIS."

It looks as though playing Abby for the past 14 years has payed off.

9. Robin Wright ($9 million)

Thanks to her role on the acclaimed Netflix series "House of Cards," Wright has become one of the top female earners in television. 

Wright also had a role in "Wonder Woman," and the upcoming films "Justice League" and "Blade Runner 2049" this year.

8. Priyanka Chopra ($10 million)

The Bollywood actress' major sources of income this year came from her drama "Quantico," as well as her endorsement deals with Pantene, Lyf Mobile, and Nirav Modi. 

Chopra also had a role in the film "Baywatch" this year.

• Paula Deen is attempting a comeback with a new cooking show. 
• The Southern chef was forced off the air and lost most of her corporate partners in 2013, after Deen admitted to using the n-word during a lawsuit over racist harassment. 
• Past scandals include allegations that Deen tried to make a cook dress like Aunt Jemima, an interview in which she sympathized with slave-holding ancestors, and a profane blooper reel in which she says a dish smells like "stinky coochie."

Paula Deen is attempting a comeback after losing her TV show and many endorsements after allegations of racist and otherwise inappropriate actions. 

Deen is now starring in "Positively Paula," a cooking show that began airing on RFD-TV in early January. 

Many fans have missed Deen since she was forced off the air after a lawsuit involving reports of racism caused companies to cut ties with the chef in 2013. However, others may find themselves wondering why Deen is being welcomed back to the spotlight after her long list of scandals. 

For people who have forgotten why Deen was forced off the air, we've compiled a list of the cooking star's most scandalous moments throughout her career. 

Pam Engel contributed to an earlier version of this article. 

SEE ALSO: Ivanka Trump is copying her stepmother Melania — and it reveals a pivotal shift in the White House

A bombshell lawsuit led to Deen admitting she used the N-word

In 2013, Deen was sued by the former general manager of her Savannah, Georgia restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House. She owned the establishment with her brother, Earl "Bubba" Hiers.

The manager, Lisa T. Jackson, accused Deen of racial discrimination and Hiers of sexual harassment, according to the Savannah Morning News.

While the lawsuit was dismissed, several of the allegations against Deen — as well as things Deen herself admitted to in the lawsuit — led to companies including Kmart, Sears, and Walmart cutting ties with the chef.

While Deen denied racist jokes, she admitted to saying the n-word in the past. 

Allegations of Deen's brother — the restaurant's co-owner — watching porn at work were also part of the lawsuit

The lawsuit mentioned employee complaints about "Bubba" Hiers looking at pornography at the restaurant and forcing other employees to look at it as well.

In response to questions about whether or not she'd have a problem with Hiers looking at porn at work, Deen said:

If somebody sent [Hiers] something and he pulled it up and looked at it, no, I would not persecute him for that. … Bubba, I don't think, would ever do that if he thought there was somebody in the room that he — it would insult. … Bubba would never force somebody to read the crap that comes up on that computer.

The New York Times reported further racist acts at Deen's restaurants, including making an employee dress like Aunt Jemima

Dora Charles, a Black chef who worked closely with Deen, spoke with The New York Times in 2013 about other reportedly racist actions taken by Deen. 

Among them was Deen's attempt to get a Black female cook to dress up like Aunt Jemima, a spokesperson with callbacks with racist minstrel shows. Deen denied the allegations. 

• Michael Wolff's book "Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House" is being adapted into a TV series. 
• The deal for the rights to the book was reportedly in the seven-figures.

Michael Wolff's best-selling exposé of Donald Trump's White House, "Fire and Fury" will be adapted into a television series.

Endeavor Content has purchased the film and TV rights to the book in a deal that is in the seven-figures, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Endeavor Content — which is the financing and sales arm of William Morris Endeavor and IMG — has begun shopping the book to networks, according to the trade.

Wolff will be an executive producer on the series.

"Fire and Fury" looks inside the first year of the Trump administration and quickly became a sensation when juicy excerpts of it began coming out, topped by the on-the-record attacks made by Trump's former adviser Steve Bannon. Interest for the book reached a point where the book's publisher moved up the release date from January 9 to January 5 to capitalize on the growing demand.

The book debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.

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• HLN anchor Ashleigh Banfield was one of the most prominent major television personalities to criticize a piece on Babe.net about an unpleasant sexual experience an anonymous photographer had with comedian Aziz Ansari.
• In the email, the Babe.net writer blasted Banfield, saying she should be "ashamed" she criticized "another woman [who] was brave enough to speak up and add another dimension to the societal conversation about sexual assault."

Ashleigh Banfield admonished a Babe.net writer who lashed out after Banfield criticized the site's recent story detailing a complicated sexual encounter between actor and comedian Aziz Ansari and an anonymous New York photographer. 

During her show on Tuesday, the Headline News anchor read an email she said she received from Babe reporter Katie Way — who broke the Ansari story — after Banfield delivered a monologue on Monday critiquing the article, saying it endangered the #MeToo movement on sexual harassment and sexism.

"Ashleigh, someone who I am certain nobody under the age of 45 has heard of, I hope the 500 retweets on the single news write up made that burgundy lipstick, bad highlights, secondwave feminist has-been really relevant for a little while," Banfield read from Way's email.

She added, "The reason I want to share that is because if you truly believe in the #MeToo movement, if you truly believe in women's rights, if you truly believe in feminism, the last thing you should do is attack someone in an ad hominem way for her age — I'm 50 — and for my highlights."

In an email to Business Insider, Babe editor Amanda Ross pointed out that the comments Banfield read on air were "a fraction" of what Way sent to the anchor after an HLN producer asked her to come on the show to discuss the story.

"The way your colleague Ashleigh (?), someone I'm certain no one under the age of 45 has ever heard of, by the way, ripped into my source directly was one of the lowest, most despicable things I've ever seen in my entire life," Way wrote.

"Shame on her. Shame on HLN. Ashleigh could have 'talked' to me. She could have 'talked' to my editor or my publication. But instead, she targeted a 23-year-old woman in one of the most vulnerable moments of her life, someone she's never f------ met before, for a little attention."

Here's Way's email in full:

It's an unequivocal no from me. The way your colleague Ashleigh (?), someone I'm certain no one under the age of 45 has ever heard of, by the way, ripped into my source directly was one of the lowest, most despicable things I've ever seen in my entire life. Shame on her. Shame on HLN. Ashleigh could have "talked" to me. She could have "talked" to my editor or my publication. But instead, she targeted a 23-year-old woman in one of the most vulnerable moments of her life, someone she's never f------ met before, for a little attention. I hope the ratings were worth it! I hope the ~500 RTs on the single news write-up made that burgundy lipstick bad highlights second-wave feminist has-been feel really relevant for a little while. She DISGUSTS me, and I hope when she has more distance from the moment she has enough of a conscience left to feel remotely ashamed — doubt it, but still. Must be nice to piggyback off of the fact that another woman was brave enough to speak up and add another dimension to the societal conversation about sexual assault. Grace wouldn't know how that feels, because she struck out into this alone, because she's the bravest person I've ever met. I would NEVER go on your network. I would never even watch your network. No woman my age would ever watch your network. I will remember this for the rest of my career — I'm 22 and so far, not too shabby! And I will laugh the day you fold. If you could let Ashleigh know I said this, and that she is no-holds-barred the reason, it'd be a real treat for me.

Thanks,
Katie

SEE ALSO: Top Republicans are taking aim at a Democratic senator who said Trump made 'shithole countries' comment

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• Netflix is well-positioned to lead the competition because it is a master of both content and technology, a UBS analyst said.
• Its increasing subscriber growth, loyal fan base, and original content are likely to sustain the company's growth trajectory.
• View Netflix's real time stock price here.

While competition for the hearts of video streaming viewers is expected to heat up, Netflix will remain on top, according to UBS analyst Eric Sheridan.

Even though a growing number of video streaming services are likely to enter the fray, "we believe Netflix will likely remain the leader due to its scale, excellent execution, brand, proven technology & content expertise, singular product focus, and lead in building its own exclusive original content library," Sheridan said.

Sheridan raised his price target to $250 per share from $221.66.

Netflix is a master of both content and technology, which will help it sustain its subscription growth and keep loyal customers satisfied, he said.

Based on UBS's estimates, Netflix subscription growth is expected to keep rising, particularly as the company invests in original content, expands its overseas local content, and adds more to its selection that will attract international subscribers.

Netflix raised its US subscription prices in October, which had no material effect on its subscription growth. Sheridan notes that this "can be viewed as supportive of the platform's pricing power." Sheridan reasons that the more subscribers and views Netflix can attract, the higher potential there will be for increased average revenue per user and overall revenue.

Sheridan pointed out the strength of Netflix's original content, particularly the widely popular "Stranger Things" and "13 Reasons Why." Spending on original content can bring in more subscribers and position "Netflix to sustain its clear global leadership in the emerging online video subscription business." 

Netflix has its share of bulls and bears on Wall Street. Many of its detractors see rising competition as a threat. No less a heavy hitter than Disney has entered the scene by acquiring a video streaming company and parts of 21st Century Fox.

Yet Macquarie analyst Tim Nollen said the company is "miles ahead of its peers," as it chooses to focus on subscriptions over advertising, and offers scaled distribution with a growing international presence. 

Netflix's stock is trading at $218.28 a share and is up 8.58% for the year.

The company is expected to report its fourth-quarter results on Jan. 22. 

Read more about the reasons why one analyst thinks Netflix has room to grow.

SEE ALSO: Netflix still has a ton of room to grow — even with Disney in the ring

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• "American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace" is not what its subtitle suggests.
• Instead, the murder of Gianni Versace in 1997 serves as a starting point into the story of his killer, Andrew Cuanan. 
• The show is a necessary and poignant examination of gay culture in the 90s. 
• Unlike other murder shows, it focuses on the lives of Cuanan's victims, beyond the most famous one. 
• Darren Criss, Penelope Cruz, and Ricky Martin are excellent. 

Want to learn about Gianni Versace, revolutionary fashion designer and gay icon? Looking for an in-depth, inside look at his July 1997 murder in Miami? Look somewhere else. Because while the title implies this is exactly what “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace” is about, that’s only the starting point.

The series does give us a glimpse of Versace’s life — both his relationship with his long-time partner, Antonio D’Amico, and with his sister, Donatella (Penelope Cruz) — but the series also looks way beyond that, and is so much better for taking the risk. 

Of all the TV that's out there, and I know it's overwhelming, this is a show you should set aside some time to watch. 

The first season of “American Crime Story,” which premiered to critical acclaim in early 2016, followed the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial. It went on to win 9 Emmy Awards, including best limited series and best actress in a limited series for Sarah Paulson, who played prosecutor Marcia Clark. “The People vs O.J. Simpson” was inventive in the way it was told, with episodes not just from the perspectives of key players like O.J., the defense, and the prosecutors, but also the jurors.

Still, the season’s glaring flaw was that, like a lot of fiction and nonfiction work surrounding the O.J. case, the victims, Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, were still just catalysts for a larger story.

But “Versace” recognized that flaw and made a show about the origins of a killer while focusing on all of his victims. The result is a fascinating examination of class, sexuality, and gay culture in the 90s.

The series starts with the assassination of Gianni Versace (Edgar Ramirez) at the hands of Andrew Cuanan (Darren Criss). From then on, Versace serves as a side character and a parallel to Cuanan.

Based on Maureen Orth’s book “Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cuanan, Gianni Versace and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History,” the series goes beyond its subtitle and tells a story that only a bold, visionary storyteller like executive producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy could tell in such a compelling, thoughtful, and colorful (literally and figuratively) way.

The series follows Cuanan on his journey of seducing wealthy men, becoming a part of their lives — and making a living off of them — then ultimately murdering them, brutally. Then, on to the next one. But the twist is that the story is told backwards, starting with the murder of Versace, and going backwards until, by the end of the season, we finally get a glimpse of Cuanan's first crimes, which started with his complicated relationship with his father. 

In the series’ stand-out episode (FX made 8 episodes of 9 available to the press), Judith Light guest stars as the conflicted wife of one of Cuanan’s victims: 72 year old Lee Miglin, a Chicago real-estate developer who was found dead in his home, bound with duct tape. Miglin’s wife goes out of her way to keep the news that her husband was murdered by a gay lover quiet, demonstrating that not so long ago, being gay was something most people wanted absolutely nothing to do with. The episode’s focus on what Light’s character goes through while finding out the truth about her husband — and what to do with it — separates this murder show from others before it, by not only showing the lives of the victims, but their loved ones as well.

The most captivating element of Cuanan's story, as told in “Versace,” is the "what if." If the detectives responsible for finding Cuanan hadn't been blinded by gay stereotypes, maybe they would have stopped him before he killed more people, including Versace. Versace and his partner Antonio (played by a well-cast, natural Ricky Martin of “Livin La Vida Loca” fame) would have also led very different lives in a more accepting culture. And Donatella, too, whose disappointment in her brother’s lack of a leaving behind an heir for their fashion brand is the conflict that drives their story throughout the season.

The biggest surprise is also the best part of “Versace”: its star, Darren Criss. In his creepy and careful performance, Criss proves that he's so much more than the performer I, and I'm sure many, assumed he was. Starting his film and television career on “Glee” as Blaine Anderson, a very mature high school student who belts Katy Perry songs at every moment possible, and venturing not much further from that in theater productions like "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," Criss’ transformative performance is one of those rare roles where you won’t be able to imagine anyone else but him playing it.

"American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace" premieres tonight on FX. Watch the trailer below:

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• Nintendo announced "Labo" on Wednesday evening with a video.
• The product is an addition to the Nintendo Switch, the popular game console from Nintendo.
• Using cardboard constructions, Switch owners will create new ways of controlling their console.

Nintendo unveiled a new product on Wednesday evening, named "Labo."

The bizarre-looking new idea uses cardboard to craft new ways of controlling games on Nintendo's popular Switch console.

The device starts at $69.99, and is scheduled to launch on April 20.

There are two different versions of Labo, as seen here:

The idea with Labo is you can buy one of several sets, which come with instructions for how to construct your controller.

Nintendo's pitching the idea as a combination of "the magic of Nintendo Switch with the fun of DIY creations," and is using "Make / Play / Discover" as the slogan for Labo.

Here's how it works: After you get home with Labo, you'll pull out instructions, and a bunch of cardboard, and construct whichever kit you've purchased.

Once constructed, you can insert your Nintendo Switch into the corresponding locations and play one of several games shown. 

That's right: More than just cardboard construction sets, Labo comes with software to play along with your new creation.

Some of the examples given are a fishing game (where you build your own fishing pole), a piano (where you build your own mini piano), and a racing game (where you build your own handlebars).

The games look simple and intuitive, like "Wii Sports."

One game even uses an almost virtual reality-like setup to enact massive robot battles:

Nintendo Labo will be available on April 20 starting at $69.99. You can read more about it from Nintendo on Labo's official website.

A video debuted alongside the announcement, which you can see here:

SEE ALSO: Nintendo just revealed a bunch of crazy-looking new games coming to the Switch in 2018

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• For years Exeter University students have believed that the Old Fire House pub was the inspiration for JK Rowling's "Leaky Cauldron" in "Harry Potter."
• But on Wednesday, the best-selling author revealed she has never even visited the pub.
• The debunking shocked and dismayed students, past and present, at her former university.

JK Rowling has just debunked a legendary "Harry Potter"-related myth about the city she went to university in — and the news has left students reeling.

In the Eighties, the legendary fantasy author studied Exeter University in Devon, in the south of England. She's one of the university's most famous alumni, and among students it has been common knowledge for years that her time in the city helped provide some of the inspiration for her now-world-famous series of books about the fictional wizarding world of Harry Potter.

For example, the picturesque pub Old Fire House is widely believed to be the inspiration for the famous fictional wizarding pub "The Leaky Cauldron." It's a cozy place, lit by candles, famous for its mulled ciders and huge pizzas. Nearly every student viewed the tales of its influence on Rowling as fact (as I found out when I studied at Exeter a few years ago). The university's Harry Potter Society held events there. BuzzFeed even published articles about it.

But, as JK Rowling revealed on Wednesday, it's just not true.

In response to a news article about the venue being sold, the author revealed she had never even visited the Old Fire House, much less used it as inspiration for her novels.

She tweeted: "If you want real fantasy, go to an estate agent. Never visited this pub in my life."

Exeter students past and present reacted to the news with horror. 

"Noooo I went to Exeter uni and it was a widely known (non-)fact that you frequented here," tweeted Dan Cash. 

"Why would you crush our dreams like this," pleaded the university's Harry Potter Society.

"My whole uni experience has been a lie," tweeted another.

JK Rowling has however offered up some solace to the tens of thousands of distressed current and former Exeter students — giving a list of pubs in the city she did frequent.

"Red Cow, Black Horse, Mill on the Exe, the Artillery Inn (now sadly gone), but never [Old Fire House], I'm afraid," the author tweeted.

Exeter students looking for a piece of "Harry Potter" history can also still visit Gandy Street, an picturesque little alley in the centre of town that is believed to be the inspiration for the fictional wizarding street Diagon Alley.

JK Rowling hasn't disputed that piece of Exeter folklore — not yet, at least.

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• There's a lot of speculation about how Apple will use its $245 billion overseas cash stash now that it's announced it will pay taxes on the money, freeing it to spends the cash as it sees fit.
• The company likely won't use the cash to buy Tesla or make another mega-merger, said Gene Munster, a longtime Apple analyst.
• Munster thinks Apple will mainly use the money on stock buybacks and paying dividends.
• However, Apple could be eyeing smaller startups, such as Google-backed Magic Leap or fitness startup Peloton, he said.
  

Is Apple about to go on a shopping spree with its $245 billion or so in overseas cash?

Quite possibly, says Gene Munster, who's scrutinized the company for years as a financial analyst. Just don't expect the iPhone maker to buy Tesla or make any other mega-acquisitions.

"We don’t think they're going to do any big M&A deals," said Munster, a managing partner at venture capital firm Loup Ventures, meaning anything over $5 billion.

Instead look for the iPhone maker to snap up some some smaller startups, he said. And the company that could be at the top of its list is Magic Leap, a Google-backed startup that makes an augmented-reality headset, he said.

Magic Leap was last valued at $6 billion, which makes it a little pricier than Apple might be willing to spend, Munster said. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook has bet big on augmented reality, which could make Magic Leap a good fit.

Apple sparked renewed speculation over what it might do with its overseas cash when it announced Wednesday that it will pay $38 billion in taxes on that stash, freeing it to spend the rest of its estimated $245 billion as it chooses. The company said it plans to invest in a new corporate campus and expanding its data centers, although it's unclear if the money for those will come out of its foreign cash.

For his part Munster expects the majority of Apple's overseas cash will go into stock buybacks and dividends. But he thinks it will save some money for acquisitions too.

Apple has reportedly invested billions in an effort to develop a car, an effort that thus far has yielded no obvious benefits. That's led to speculation that the company try to buy Tesla to jump start its entry into the car market.

But Munster doesn't think that's going to happen. While Apple might want to buy Tesla, Elon Musk, the electric car company's CEO, "won't sell," Munster said.

A Magic Leap acquisition may not happen either. Munster himself called it a "controversial" pick, and not just because of its valuation. The company has struggled to convince the public at large that it has a commercially viable product.

After six years and $1.9 billion in funding, the company only publicly unveiled its first-ever headset in December. The company has been operating under strict conditions of secrecy, with only a few key people, including Beyonce, allowed to try the new headset before it launches. 

But there are other companies that could attract Apple's attention. One acquisition target could be Peloton, Munster said. Cook has indicated that health technology will be a major focus for Apple. That could make Peloton, which has been developing wide-ranging fitness business that includes high-end hardware, livestreamed classes, and a 600,000-strong subscriber community, a good match.

Munster also thinks Apple could be eyeing software and services companies to bolster its behind-the-scenes technology. Last year, Apple bought a data analysis startup called Lattice Data for $200 million, and Munster thinks more deals along those lines could be coming. 

In general, though, Munster thinks that the lion's share of the cash will go to shareholders. When the company announces its quarterly earnings on February 1st, Munster expects it to announce a $70 billion share buyback program and a $12 billion one-time dividend. He also expects it to increase it regular, annual dividend by $10 billion.

When it comes to Apple's cash repatriation, "investors are going to be the biggest beneficiary of that," he said.

SEE ALSO: Here's why analysts think Apple's cash move is such a big deal

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This is a preview of a research report from BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about BI Intelligence, click here.

What is eSports? History & Rise of Video Game Tournaments

Years ago, eSports was a community of video gamers who would gather at conventions to play Counter Strike, Call of Duty, or League of Legends.

These multiplayer video game competitions would determine League of Legends champions, the greatest shooters in Call of Duty, the cream of the crop of Street Fighter players, the elite Dota 2 competitors, and more.

But today, as the history of eSports continue to unfold, media giants such as ESPN and Turner are broadcasting eSports tournaments and competitions. And in 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch, the live streaming video platform that has been and continues to be the leader in online gaming broadcasts. And YouTube also wanted to jump on the live streaming gaming community with the creation of YouTube Gaming.

eSports Market Growth Booming

To put in perspective how big eSports is becoming, a Google search for "lol" does not produce "laughing out loud" as the top result. Instead, it points to League of Legends, one of the most popular competitive games in existence. The game has spawned a worldwide community called the League of Legends Championship Series, more commonly known as LCS or LOL eSports.

What started as friends gathering in each other's homes to host LAN parties and play into the night has become an official network of pro gaming tournaments and leagues with legitimate teams, some of which are even sponsored and have international reach. Organizations such as Denial, AHQ, and MLG have multiple eSports leagues.

And to really understand the scope of all this, consider that the prize pool for the latest Dota 2 tournament was more than $20 million.

Websites even exist for eSports live scores to let people track the competitions in real time if they are unable to watch. There are even fantasy eSports leagues similar to fantasy football, along with the large and growing scene of eSports betting and gambling.

So it's understandable why traditional media companies would want to capitalize on this growing trend just before it floods into the mainstream. Approximately 300 million people worldwide tune in to eSports today, and that number is growing rapidly. By 2020, that number will be closer to 500 million.

eSports Industry Analysis - The Future of the Competitive Gaming Market

Financial institutions are starting to take notice. Goldman Sachs valued eSports at $500 million in 2016 and expects the market will grow at 22% annually compounded over the next three years into a more than $1 billion opportunity.

And industry statistics are already backing this valuation and demonstrating the potential for massive earnings. To illustrate the market value, market growth, and potential earnings for eSports, consider Swedish media company Modern Times Group's $87 million acquisition of Turtle Entertainment, the holding company for ESL. YouTube has made its biggest eSports investment to date by signing a multiyear broadcasting deal with Faceit to stream the latter's Esports Championship Series. And the NBA will launch its own eSports league in 2018.

Of course, as with any growing phenomenon, the question becomes: How do advertisers capitalize? This is especially tricky for eSports because of its audience demographics, which is young, passionate, male-dominated, and digital-first. They live online and on social media, are avid ad-blockers, and don't watch traditional TV or respond to conventional advertising.

So what will the future of eSports look like? How high can it climb? Could it reach the mainstream popularity of baseball or football? How will advertisers be able to reach an audience that does its best to shield itself from advertising?

Robert Elder, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled an unparalleled report on the eSports ecosystem that dissects the growing market for competitive gaming. This comprehensive, industry-defining report contains more than 30 charts and figures that forecast audience growth, average revenue per user, and revenue growth.

Companies and organizations mentioned in the report include: NFL, NBA, English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, NHL, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, Ligue de Football, Twitch, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, Electronic Arts, EA Sports, Valve, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, ESL, Turtle Entertainment, Dreamhack, Modern Times Group, Turner Broadcasting, TBS Network, Vivendi, Canal Plus, Dailymotion, Disney, BAMTech, Intel, Coca Cola, Red Bull, HTC, Mikonet

Here are some eSports industry facts and statistics from the report:

• eSports is a still nascent industry filled with commercial opportunity.
• There are a variety of revenue streams that companies can tap into.
• The market is presently undervalued and has significant room to grow.
• The dynamism of this market distinguishes it from traditional sports.
• The audience is high-value and global, and its numbers are rising.
• Brands can prosper in eSports by following the appropriate game plan.
• Game publishers approach their Esport ecosystems in different ways.  
• Successful esport games are comprised of the same basic ingredients.
• Digital streaming platforms are spearheading the popularity of eSports.
• Legacy media are investing into eSports, and seeing encouraging results.
• Traditional sports franchises have a clear opportunity to seize in eSports.
• Virtual and augmented reality firms also stand to benefit from eSports.  

In full, the report illuminates the business of eSports from four angles:

• The gaming nucleus of eSports, including an overview of popular esport genres and games; the influence of game publishers, and the spectrum of strategies they adopt toward their respective esport scenes; the role of eSports event producers and the tournaments they operate.
• The eSports audience profile, its size, global reach, and demographic, psychographic, and behavioral attributes; the underlying factors driving its growth; why they are an attractive target for brands and broadcasters; and the significant audience and commercial crossover with traditional sports.
• eSports media broadcasters, including digital avant-garde like Twitch and YouTube, newer digital entrants like Facebook and traditional media outlets like Turner’s TBS Network, ESPN, and Canal Plus; their strategies and successes in this space; and the virtual reality opportunity.
• eSports market economics, with a market sizing, growth forecasts, and regional analyses; an evaluation of the eSports spectacle and its revenue generators, some of which are idiosyncratic to this industry; strategic planning for brand marketers, with case studies; and an exploration of the infinite dynamism and immense potential of the eSports economy.

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• London's Metropolitan Police confirmed a third investigation.
• Unnamed man claims Spacey assaulted him in 2005.
• Spacey was a powerful figure in London's theatre scene at the time.
• Another alleged assault in 2005, and one in 2008, are also under investigation.
• At least 16 people have accused Spacey of sexual misconduct since October, mostly in the US.

A British police force has opened a third simultaneous investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey.

In a statement to Business Insider, the London Metropolitan Police said: "On 13 December we received an allegation that the man sexually assaulted a man (Victim 3) in 2005 in Westminster.

"Officers from the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating."

The Met is already investigating two other sexual assault allegations against the "House of Cards" actor in London. One allegedly took place in 2005 in Lambeth, and the other in 2008 in the same borough.

Spacey was not named in the Met's statement, as UK police do not name suspects who have not yet been charged.

All three reports of sexual assault took place when Spacey was artistic director of the prestigious Old Vic theatre in Lambeth from 2004 to 2015.

The theatre published a report in November recording 20 claims against Spacey in and around its premises between 1995 and 2013.

At least sixteen people, mostly in the US, have accused Spacey of sexual harassment or assault since the end of October.

US actor Anthony Rapp was the first to publicly accuse Spacey of making a sexual advance toward him, and says he was 14 at the time.

Spacey has not responded to any of the individual allegations.

A statement by his representatives to Business Insider, made in November, said: "Kevin Spacey is taking the time necessary to seek evaluation and treatment. No other information is available at this time."

SEE ALSO: The London theatre Kevin Spacey used to run says 20 people have now made allegations against him

READ MORE: 25 powerful men in politics and media accused of sexual misconduct in the wake of Harvey Weinstein

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

• Almost every celebrity on the red carpet wore black at this year's Golden Globes.
• The stunt was to raise awareness for Time's Up — a movement against sexual harassment in the workplace.
• Now, some of the black dresses and tuxes are being auctioned off on eBay from Friday.
• You could also take home a Stella McCartney gown for as little as $25 (£18) in a raffle.

2018's Golden Globes' red carpet had all the glamour, flashing cameras, and celebrities that it usually does, but there was one big difference — almost everyone was wearing black.

Both men and women donned black attire in support of Time's Up— an organisation founded earlier this year by 300 women who work in film, television, and theatre who want to confront sexual harassment in the workplace and hold predators accountable.

Now, publishing giant Condé Nast — known for the likes of Vogue and Vanity Fair — is teaming up with Time's Up and eBay to auction off a selection of the black dresses and tuxedos donned by celebrities last Sunday night.

The auction will, of course, raise money for the Time's Up cause.

Dresses worn by the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Viola Davis, Margot Robbie, Meryl Streep, and more will feature among the listings which go live on eBay on Friday January 19 at 5 p.m. GMT, or 12 p.m. EST.

All of the money raised will go to Time's Up Legal Defense Fund, which subsidises legal support for women who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace and otherwise may not have the money or means to seek legal advice or defence to hold their harassers, attackers, and abusers to account.

If you want to get involved but aren't sure that your funds will stretch as far as a designer dress worn by an A-List celebrity, there'll also be a $25 (£18)-a-ticket raffle where tickets holders can win dresses designed by Stella McCartney, Diane von Furstenberg, and Rosie Assoulin. If your ticket comes up, you can choose which of the three dresses you want to take home.

"At Condé Nast, we've always believed in the importance of swift action to support meaningful social change," said Anna Wintour, artistic director of Condé Nast and editor-in-chief of Vogue.

"Through this auction powered by eBay for Charity, and harnessing the compelling pull of both fashion and activism, we're hopeful that the black dresses worn at this year's historic Golden Globe Awards will raise funds for the Time's Up initiative, and serve to support the stories and voices of those who have been victims of sexual misconduct."

The Time's Up website states:

"To every women employed in agriculture who has had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from her boss, every housekeeper who has tried to escape an assaultive guest, every janitor trapped nightly in a building with a predatory supervisor, […] and to women in every industry who are subjected to indignities and offensive behaviour that they are expected to tolerate in order to make a living: We stand with you. We support you."

SEE ALSO: Keira Knightley doesn't like playing modern-day characters because they 'nearly always get raped'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Netflix is headed for a huge profit milestone in 2018

• Restaurant chain Nando's has launched a high-tech recording studio in central London.
• The studio is available to use completely free to successful applicants.
• The chain has worked with the likes of Stormzy and Ella Eyre to mentor new artists.

Cult restaurant chain Nando's may be known for its peri-peri chicken, but it could soon become a name in the music industry.

Nando's has opened a recording studio inside its Soho, London restaurant, complete with an in-house sound engineer and industry-standard equipment — including a Neumann U87 microphone.

And the equipment is branded, of course.

The studio, which is visible to diners in the restaurant, is targeted at "budding producers, artists, and DJs" — and it's available completely free to successful applicants.

Here's what you can see as a diner:

The chain, which claims to have been "fueling the music industry backstage" for years, just entered into the fourth year of its Nando's Music Exchange, a programme which "inspires the exchange of global music influences through mentoring, workshops, and explosive events."

The programme has seen the likes of Stormzy and Ella Eyre mentor young artists — and now they have a new place to do so, open five days a week.

The company said it hopes to grow its network of artists through the programme, adding: "Some of the best ideas have started over PERi-PERi (or so we’re told), so we’re looking forward to hearing what happens when we bring together chicken and tunes!"

Interested artists can apply here.

SEE ALSO: Inside the most reviewed eatery in the world, a Portuguese bakery where the most popular dish costs less than £1

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Expect Amazon to make a surprising acquisition in 2018, says CFRA

• Prince William has shaved his head, suggesting he has finally embraced baldness.
• Photos of his freshly shaven head emerged on social media on Thursday.

Though his thinning hair has long been the subject of ridicule by the media, Prince William appears to have embraced baldness: New photos emerged on Thursday of the Prince debuting a freshly shaven head.

The photos were taken while the Duke of Cambridge was at Evelina London Children's Hospital to launch a program to help veterans find work in the UK's National Health Service.

Here he is debuting the new cut:

Some close-up shots also emerged on Twitter:

The move appears to have been a drawn-out process.

Here's a photo of him in October with a slightly longer, albeit wispy, 'do:

In 2015, at the launch of the Centrepoint Awards, he looks to have combed some of it over:

On safari in 2014, he had more hair but a clearly receding hairline:

But one thing is for sure: We can officially say RIP to the head of hair he once had.

SEE ALSO: There's a theory for why Prince William always holds George's hand in public while Kate looks after Charlotte — and experts on royals say it could be true

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The bizarre history of the Yule Log Christmas special

• On "CBS This Morning," Woody Allen's adopted daughter Dylan Farrow went into disturbing detail when describing sexual-assault allegations against Allen.
• Allen has previously denied Farrow's accusations and said her mother, Mia Farrow, brainwashed her.
• Dylan Farrow told the CBS host Gayle King that it had shocked her that the story she was brainwashed by her mother seemed to some more believable than her story.

On Thursday's "CBS This Morning," Dylan Farrow gave an emotional interview in which she detailed sexual-assault allegations against her adopted father, the filmmaker Woody Allen. Discussing the decades-old allegations publicly on camera for the first time, Farrow said Allen touched her inappropriately while she played with a toy train at her Connecticut home in 1992. She was 7.

Farrow, now 32, has recently criticized actors, including Justin Timberlake, who have supported the anti-harassment Time's Up initiative (and the #MeToo movement) while continuing to work with Allen.

Speaking with the "CBS This Morning" cohost Gayle King, Farrow went into more detail about her allegations than she ever had publicly.

"I was taken to a small attic crawl space in my mother's country house in Connecticut by my father," Farrow said. "He instructed me to lay down on my stomach and play with my brother's toy train that was set up. And he sat behind me in the doorway, and as I played with the toy train, I was sexually assaulted. As a 7-year-old I would say, I would have said he touched my private parts."

Farrow said that as a 32-year-old, she would now more precisely describe it as "he touched my labia and my vulva with his finger." Farrow also told King that Allen would behave inappropriately with her in other ways, asking her to get into bed with him while he was in his underwear.

Allen, who has denied Farrow's accusations for years, said in a statement to CBS that "the Farrow family is cynically using the opportunity afforded by the Time's Up movement to repeat this discredited allegation."

King asked Farrow about the contention of Allen and her brother Moses that her mother, Mia Farrow, brainwashed her into telling this story to get revenge on Allen for cheating on her with their other adopted daughter, Soon-Yi, whom Allen had an affair with and has been married to for 20 years.

"What I don't understand is how is this crazy story of me being brainwashed and coached more believable than what I'm saying about being sexually assaulted by my father," Farrow said.

Farrow told King that her mother had always encouraged her to tell the truth and never coached her.

King played a clip from a previous interview Allen did for "60 Minutes" in which he denied the assault allegations. In the interview, Allen said: "I could if I wanted to be a child molester, I had many opportunities in the past."

Farrow cried while the clip played.

"I thought I could handle it," she said. "He's lying and he's been lying for so long. And it is difficult for me to see him and to hear his voice. I'm sorry."

Watch the full interview below:

In a statement to CBS, Allen, who was never charged with a crime in this case, said:

"When this claim was first made more than 25 years ago, it was thoroughly investigated by both the Child Sexual Abuse Clinic of the Yale-New Haven Hospital and New York State Child Welfare. They both did so for many months and independently concluded that no molestation had ever taken place. Instead, they found it likely a vulnerable child had been coached to tell the story by her angry mother during a contentious breakup.

"Dylan's older brother Moses has said that he witnessed their mother doing exactly that – relentlessly coaching Dylan, trying to drum into her that her father was a dangerous sexual predator. It seems to have worked – and, sadly, I'm sure Dylan truly believes what she says.

"But even though the Farrow family is cynically using the opportunity afforded by the Time's Up movement to repeat this discredited allegation, that doesn't make it any more true today than it was in the past. I never molested my daughter – as all investigations concluded a quarter of a century ago."

SEE ALSO: 7 actors who have publicly disavowed Woody Allen or donated their salaries to charity after working on his movies

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Celebrities flocked to these underground poker games where someone once lost $100 million in one night

What in the world is this?

It's a cardboard piano, and that's the Nintendo Switch game console right there in the middle. But the combination thereof is something else entirely: It's Nintendo Labo, the latest creation from the Japanese gaming powerhouse. 

Labo is a surprising new project that Nintendo unveiled on Wednesday afternoon, and it's coming out really soon (in April!). Here's how it works:

SEE ALSO: Nintendo just revealed a bunch of crazy-looking new games coming to the Switch in 2018

First and foremost, a warning: Nintendo Labo is an add-on for the Nintendo Switch console. You must own a Switch to use Labo.

You cannot use Nintendo Labo without a Nintendo Switch, outright. Labo doesn't come with a Switch — you buy the Switch separately, which costs $300. Beware!

So, what is Labo? It's a DIY construction kit that uses cardboard to turn your Switch into something new.

Nintendo Labo is a lot of things.

Broadly, it's a do-it-yourself construction set where you build new ways to play and control the Nintendo Switch.

As seen in the example above, Labo can be constructed into a variety of different structures.

The idea is simple: You buy Labo and open it, follow the instructions to build whichever construction you've purchased, and then you slap the Switch in there and play games.

In case it wasn't clear, playing games is the whole point here: Each Labo construction has a corresponding game that Nintendo made for use with that particular design.

The "Robot Kit," seen above, is specifically made to play with a game where you play as a giant robot that's smashing buildings.

In the first image on the left, you see a visor of sorts being constructed. On the far right, the backpack provides resistance as you use your arms to act as the robot's arms. And in the middle, of course, is the game itself being played with the full Labo constructed. Pretty intense!

Here's another example, where a set of motorcycle handlebars were constructed using Labo for a racing game:

The game looks fairly rudimentary, but it's entirely possible that the image is just a placeholder for now. In the case of the motorcycle Labo, each of the Switch's "Joy-Con" gamepads are inserted into the handlebars, and the Switch itself (the screen) is placed in the center.

• French film icon Brigitte Bardot called the #MeToo movement "hypocritical and ridiculous" in a new interview with the French magazine Paris Match.
• The 83-year-old actress said that many actresses claim sexual harassment for publicity. 
• Bardot said that she was "never the victim of sexual harassment."

French actress Brigitte Bardot criticized the #MeToo movement as "hypocritical and ridiculous" in an interview with the French magazine Paris Match on Wednesday, as translated by French 24. 

"The vast majority are being hypocritical and ridiculous," she told the magazine of actresses who have come forward with stories of sexual misconduct. "Lots of actresses try to play the tease with producers to get a role. And then, so we will talk about them, they say they were harassed." 

Bardot added that she was "never the victim of sexual harassment," and that she "found it charming when men told me that I was beautiful or I had a nice little backside." 

The 83-year-old actress came to prominence in international cinema with her performance in 1956's "...And God Created Woman."

Bardot's comments follow the French actress Catherine Deneuve, who signed a letter with 100 other French women last week, denouncing the #MeToo movement and its French counterpart, #Balancetonporc, or "Expose Your Pig."

Deneuve subsequently apologized to victims of sexual assault on Monday, after the letter drew international criticism.

SEE ALSO: 7 actors who have publicly disavowed Woody Allen or donated their salaries to charity after working on his movies

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Celebrities flocked to these underground poker games where someone once lost $100 million in one night

As the #MeToo movement gained momentum in Hollywood following the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault allegations, Dylan Farrow asked pointedly in a Los Angeles Times op-ed in December, "Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen?"

In 1993, Allen faced accusations that he had sexually abused Farrow, his then-seven-year-old adoptive daughter. Allen, who has continually denied the accusations, was investigated but never prosecuted. 

But Farrow has long maintained that Allen sexually assaulted her, after she first discussed the issue publicly in a New York Times op-ed in 2014. 

In her 2017 op-ed, Farrow asked why A-list actors like Kate Winslet, Blake Lively, and Greta Gerwig have continued to work with and praise Allen.

And in an interview with "CBS This Morning" on Thursday, Farrow described Allen's alleged sexual assault in disturbing detail. Allen again denied the allegations in a statement, saying the Farrow family was "cynically using the opportunity afforded by the Time's Up movement to repeat this discredited allegation."

"He's lying and he's been lying for so long," Farrow said in the CBS interview.

Despite his denials, Farrow's words over the last few months appear to have shifted to the tide against Allen, as a number of actors who played in Allen's movies (including Gerwig, Rebecca Hall, and Timothée Chalamet) have now either disavowed him or donated their salaries from his films to abuse victims charities in recent months.

Here are all the actors who have disavowed Woody Allen after working in his movies:

SEE ALSO: 19 Netflix original shows that both critics and audiences agree are amazing

Griffin Newman

In October, before the LA Times published Farrow's op-ed, actor Griffin Newman said on Twitter that he regretted his "one-scene role" in Woody Allen's upcoming film, "A Rainy Day in New York," and would donate his salary from the film to RAINN (the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network).

"I need to get this off my chest: I worked on Woody Allen’s next movie. I believe he is guilty. I donated my entire salary to RAINN," Newman tweeted. 

Newman said he "spent a month debating whether or not to quit" the movie, but decided to speak out following the "compounded" list of sexual misconduct allegations in the wake of Harvey Weinstein.

Rebecca Hall

Rebecca Hall, who starred in Allen's 2008 film "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," said in an Instagram post on Saturday that she regretted her brief role in Allen's "A Rainy Day in New York," and would donate her salary from the part to Time's Up, a movement in solidarity with victims of sexual misconduct.

"After reading and re-reading Dylan Farrow’s statements of a few days ago and going back and reading the older ones — I see, not only how complicated this matter is, but that my actions have made another woman feel silenced and dismissed," Hall wrote in the post.

"I regret this decision and wouldn’t make the same one today. It’s a small gesture and not one intended as close to compensation but I’ve donated my wage to @timesup," she continued. 

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet, the breakout star of "Call Me by Your Name," said in an Instagram post on Monday that he would donate his salary from "A Rainy Day In New York" to Time's Up, The LGBT Center in New York, and RAINN.

"I have been asked in a few recent interviews about my decision to work on a film with Woody Allen last summer. I am not able to answer the question directly because of contractual obligations," Chalamet wrote. "But what I can say is this: I don't want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary to three charities: TIME'S UP, The LGBT Center in New York, and RAINN."

"I want to be worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with the brave artists who are fighting for all people to be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve," he continued.

Amazon had a big night at the 2018 Golden Globes, with high-profile wins for its hit comedy series, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."

Then it turned around and canceled three shows at once: "Jean-Claude Van Johnson," "One Mississippi," and "I Love Dick."

The cancellations come as Amazon continues to clean house after a management shakeup.

In October, Amazon Studios head Roy Price resigned after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced, and CEO Jeff Bezos has reportedly directed a change in strategy at the company, which led to Amazon in November grabbing the rights to make a TV series based on "The Lord of the Rings."

Amazon also seems to have a much quicker trigger finger than Netflix, and has killed a bunch of shows already. The recent crop consisted of "I Love Dick," which was nominated for a Golden Globe (Kevin Bacon as best actor in a comedy), "One Mississippi" starring comedian Tig Notaro, and "Jean-Claude Van Johnson," which launched in December and starred Jean-Claude Van Damme as a fictionalized version of himself.

Here are the shows Amazon has killed, along with their critic and audience ratings from Metacritic:

SEE ALSO: Amazon's 15 original comedy TV shows, ranked from worst to best

'One Mississippi': Canceled after two seasons (2015-2017)

Amazon description: "Love is in the air when we pick up with Tig, Bill & Remy, living together again in Mississippi. It's a season of new beginnings and new relationships for each of them. Tig's back on the radio, but her outspoken point of view proves controversial for the local market. A chance to take a bigger stage in New Orleans comes with more reach, and responsibility."

Critic rating: 77/100

Audience rating: 6.7/10

'I Love Dick': Canceled after 1 season (2017)

Amazon description: "Adapted from the lauded feminist novel, I LOVE DICK is set in a colorful academic community in Marfa, Texas. It tells the story of a struggling married couple, Chris and Sylvere, and their obsession with a charismatic professor named Dick. Told in Rashomon-style shifts of POV, I LOVE DICK charts the unraveling of a marriage, the awakening of an artist and the deification of a reluctant messiah."

Critic rating: 73/100

Audience rating: 6.4/10

'Jean-Claude Van Johnson': Canceled after 1 season (2017)

• Terry Crews has built a career by doing everything from action movies ("The Expendables") and comedy series ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), to being a game-show host ("Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") and pitchman (Old Spice).
• But at one point, after playing in the NFL, he was broke and had a job sweeping floors at a factory.
• Now, he's one of the most recognizable faces on the planet — and even has a furniture line.

Terry Crews learned the hard way that you should never take an opportunity for granted. 

He was 11 years old when a woman at his church, impressed by his drawing ability, offered to have him create a sign for her storefront. She would give him $25 for the work, which for a kid from a blue-collar family in Flint, Michigan was quite a pay day. He was told to complete the sign within a week.

“I thought, ‘This is going to be easy!’” Crews recalled to Business Insider in a recent interview. “So I spent the week watching cartoons, hanging out, playing around, and the day before it was due I started. But the paint wasn’t sticking to the canvas, everything was going wrong, it was awful. The woman showed up at the house and looked at it and was like, ‘I’ve never been more disappointed.’ I was crushed. I didn’t put any effort into it. I vowed to work hard after that. I never wanted anyone to have that disappointment in me again.”

And Crews’ career proves that he’s never forgotten that life lesson. 

From being the face of Old Spice commercials to his memorable roles in movies ("Idiocracy," "The Expendables") and TV ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), thanks to his hulking size matched with his comedic talents, Crews, 49, has gone from being broke after a lackluster career in the NFL, to being an actor who seems to always have a new goal he’s chasing down.

And recently Crews also stood up and became part of the #MeToo movement — the viral wave on social media denouncing sexual misconduct in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations. Late last year, Crews said in a series of tweets that a Hollywood executive groped him at a party in 2016. This, and subsequent statements and interviews, led to Crews being included in Time magazine's Person of the Year: “Silence Breakers.”   

For this piece, Crews took Business Insider through some of the landmark moments of his career to show that when it comes to his brand, as he puts it, “I’m happy, but I’m never satisfied.”

Broke and sweeping floors in a factory after quitting the NFL

Terry Crews’ career in the NFL was not a memorable one. Basically a glorified tackling dummy in the league after being drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round in 1991, Crews also played for the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins. He walked away from the game after being on the practice squad for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996. He played a total of 32 games over his 5-year career.

With no other career to fall back on, Crews tried to get into acting, but quickly realized having the NFL on his resume didn't equal instant success.

"It was a big shock to me," Crews said about not finding immediate fame in the entertainment world. "I moved to Los Angeles thinking that because I was a football player, I was going to get a lot of big opportunities. They didn't even have a football team then, nobody cared!"

Crews said he spent a year broke, and had to get a job sweeping floors at a factory to make ends meet.

"I realized I had to start all over again," he said. "I gotta sweep these floors and make sure they are clean but I also felt like I was doing something about the situation. It was a gut check."

Finding his big break in "Friday After Next"

With no acting experience but a lot of desire, Crews got himself into auditions thanks to his size and outgoing personality. It led to him being cast on the syndicated show "Battle Dome" in 1999 — think a combination of "American Gladiators" and pro wrestling — where he played the character "T-Money" for two seasons. He also got extra work on movies like "Training Day" and the Matthew Perry comedy "Serving Sara."

Then in 2002 he got his big break.

After working security on the set of 2000's "Next Friday," the sequel to the Ice Cube stoner comedy "Friday," Cube cast Crews in the third movie, "Friday After Next." Crews played Damon, an ex-con who basically was the intimidating presence in the movie (as Tommy "Tiny" Lister's Deebo character was in the first two movies).

But Crews took the character to a whole new level and became a standout in the movie. This was particularly because his Damon character is sexually attracted to another male character, Money Mike (Katt Williams), a storyline that at the time in black culture was very taboo.

"I remember talking to Katt and saying, 'If this is the last thing we ever do, they can love us or they can hate us, but we have to make sure they never forget us,'" Crews said. "That was our whole mantra. Do something that will just make everyone's eyes bug out."

And they did just that. Crews said he pushed the homosexual tendencies of the Damon character to the point that even on set fellow actors thought it was going too far.

However, despite the movie being a box-office bomb (it grossed only $33.3 million worldwide), Crews was one of the highlights.

"At the premiere, Ice Cube came up to Katt and me and he was like, 'That whole third act with you and Katt takes over the whole movie.'" Crews said. "And I was like, wow. I got respect from people in the industry because I was willing to go all in."

The Old Spice commercials

Crews' "all in" approach led him to be a huge part of an advertising campaign that has influenced the way commercials are made today.

In 2010, he began doing commercials for Old Spice deodorant called "Odor Blockers," and the company's YouTube channel suddenly became one of the most addictive destinations on the site. Created by the Wieden+Kennedy ad agency and directed by Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, of "Tim and Eric Awesome Show" fame, the videos instantly became viral thanks to Crews insanely yelling and screaming while doing bizarre things (with the help of CGI). Whether it was rolling his head down a bowling lane, popping his now-famous pecs, or suddenly appearing in another brand's commercials, Crews embodied the insanity that made the commercials — as well as Isaiah Mustafa's equally zany "Smell Like a Man, Man" Old Spice commercials — go on to win advertising awards and spawn countless imitators.

"I remember the first time we shot any of the Old Spice commercials we did three on the same day because we kept coming up with ideas," Crews said. "I had to sign contracts and fax them to Wieden+Kennedy on set because I was only signed to do one ad."

"I trusted these guys and it was a magical moment," Crews continued. "It's been eight years and I'm still doing them. I'm filming a new one on Thursday!"


President Camacho from "Idiocracy"

Through the years Crews has played some entertaining characters, but his most memorable (so far) is President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho from the 2006 movie "Idiocracy."

Though hardly anyone saw the movie when it was released, it's found a second life on Blu-ray, cable, and streaming. And Crews' portrayal of the president in a future when corporations are king and everyone is stupid has gotten to cult icon status.

There was even talk of Crews portraying Camacho in some anti-Donald Trump ads that "Idiocracy" director Mike Judge was going to make during the 2016 presidential campaign. But Crews balked, saying he would only do it if all the candidates were made fun of.

Looking back now, Crews feels he's protective of the Camacho character because of how it can be shaped to any political agenda — none of which the actor wants to be a part of.

"People are way more complex than Republican and Democrat, and that's what I love about 'Idiocracy,' it just told the truth," Crews said. "That's the comedy I like to do. I still think there's room to do Camacho stuff, I would love to. But I want to also just tell the truth and then let it lay."

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine"

Recently, Crews' steadiest work has been playing Detective Sergeant Terence "Terry" Jeffords for five seasons on the Fox comedy series "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."

And if you're wondering, no, it's not a coincidence Crews' character is named Terry on the show.

"We designed the role for Terry, we named the character 'Terry' just to tell him how much we wanted him to do it," Michael Schur, co-creator/executive producer of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," told Business Insider in an email. "Everything about Terry Crews is impressive — his talent, his work ethic, his courage, his activism, everything. In fact, his biceps are the least impressive thing about him, which is saying something."

There is no better place than TV for actors to work on their craft, and Crews is appreciative of the show for that — and for the incredible response he's received from the show's fans over the years.

"One woman told me she watches 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' because her son passed away and they enjoyed watching it together," Crews said. "So when she watches it now it brings her back to that time. You start to realize the influence. This is beyond me."

Furniture line

That's right, Terry Crews has furniture named after him.

Crews said he was helping a friend out on a furniture line when he was suddenly offered his own.

"On the [list of] things I want to accomplish, furniture wasn't on there but art was," Crews said. "I felt, wait, furniture is art, if you make it it's art!"

Crews dove into the project, coming up with sketches on his own. It was evident for those working with him that he wasn't just going to slap his name on anything placed in front of him.

"He had so many solid ideas that the difficult part was choosing which ones to pursue for his first collection," Jerry Helling, creative director of furniture maker Bernhardt Design — which is doing Crews' line — told Business Insider in an email. "His knowledge of design and his passion for the industry, combined with his artistic skills made him an ideal collaborator."

Crews' collection ranges from seating to tables, all inspired by ancient Egypt. A second collection will be coming out in the spring.

Using his art skills to make a TV show

Before scoring a football scholarship to attend Western Michigan University, Crews got an art scholarship. He's also been a courtroom sketch artist (back in his hometown of Flint, Michigan), and even painted portraits of NFL players to earn some extra cash during his playing days (sometimes charging $5,000 a portrait).

Now Crews is trying to combine his passion and his celebrity status to make a show.

He's prepping a pitch to send around Hollywood of a talk show in which he'll interview a guest while also sketching them. The pilot has already been shot with his "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" costar Andy Samberg as the guest.

"The pilot looks great, we got a lot of pitch meetings lined up," Crews said. "Our biggest thing is will the show be 30 minutes, or 10 minutes, or even a couple of minutes? We can tailor to whoever wants it. So we're keeping it open to any format."

Time magazine Person of the Year: "Silence Breakers"

Recently, the biggest thing on Crews' mind has been an incident that happened to him at a party back in 2016, he said.

In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations this past October, Crews was one of the many who spoke out about sexual harassment.

Through a series of tweets, the actor said that a "high level Hollywood executive" groped him at a party he attended with his wife.

Crews later revealed that the exec he was talking about was Adam Venit, head of the motion picture department at the talent agency William Morris Endeavor. The same agency represented Crews (the actor has since left WME). After a one-month suspension, Venit went back to work at WME and was demoted.

Crews, who has since filed a report with the LAPD alleging Venit sexually assaulted him, was later named as one of the "Silence Breakers" in Time's Person of the Year issue.

Looking back on the past months, Crews said telling his story was "a good thing" because it revealed who really was in his corner.

"I found out who my friends really were through this thing," Crews said. "There were a lot of people that I thought were behind me and weren't. I didn't cry in my bed, 'Oh, I've been betrayed,' as a businessman the difficult times revealed who was there for me and who wasn't."

"I'm thankful," Crews continued, "because I would have gone for years thinking these people had my back. I would have just kept going. Sometimes you don't see until something weird happens, and it doesn't get weirder than what happened to me."

SEE ALSO: Inside the 14 long years it took for the director of Amazon's Grateful Dead documentary to finally get his dream project made

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