“Empire” actress Taraji P. Henson is happy that the “truth” has come out about her co-star, Jussie Smollett, after 16 felony counts against him were dropped Tuesday.
“I’m happy that the truth has finally been set free because I knew it all along. We’re all happy for him, and thank God the truth prevailed,” Henson said in a report published Wednesday by USA Today.
Prosecutors dropped all charges against Smollett, who was indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct for lying to Chicago Police, on Tuesday. Smollett filed a police report in January alleging he was attacked in a hate crime.
Henson has backed Smollett ever since Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson claimed Smollett staged the attack to advance his career. (RELATED: Jussie Smollett ‘Volunteer Service’ Included Two Days Of Work With Jesse Jackson Nonprofit And An Appearance On PBS)
She’s believed he is innocent “because I know him and I know his track record. I’m not going to jump on clickbait just because someone says something derogatory about a person I know and love. I’m not easily swayed like that. Those little clickbait [headlines] weren’t enough to deter me from his immaculate track record. I know the type of activism this young man does in his community, I know that he’s a giver- he’s not an attention-seeker.”
She continued, “When I know someone, there’s nothing you can say to make me flip on them, and that’s what we miss in this world. We need people to stand by us. Whatever happened to that? Why are we so easy to believe strangers over people we know?”