Queen Latifah said she will continue to support embattled Empire star Jussie Smollett—at least for now. During a recent interview with Zainab Salbi, Latifah explained why she refuses to turn her back on Smollett, despite the reports that the actor staged his own hate crime earlier this year in Chicago. "Until somebody can show me some proof otherwise, I'm going with him," Latifah said on Yahoo News' Through Her Eyes series. "Because the guy I've seen has always been someone who cares about people, who cares about others, whose very kind and whose always cool and sweet, that's the guy I know. So until I can see some definitive proof, which I haven't seen yet, then, you know, I gotta go with him." On Jan. 29, Smollett told police two masked men had attacked him on Chicago streets earlier that day. The 36-year-old actor claimed the men beat him, placed a noose around his neck, and poured a chemical substance on him before shouting, "This is MAGA country"—a reference to President Donald Trump's controversial "Make America Great Again" slogan. Officers initially investigated the incident as a possible hate crime, but upon further digging, the Chicago Police concluded Smollett had orchestrated his alleged attack with the help of Abel and Ola Osundairo. "[...] Smollett paid $3,500 to stage this attack and drag Chicago's reputation through the mud in the process," Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson said during a press conference last month. "And why? The stunt was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied with his salary. So he concocted a story about being attacked." The actor was eventually arrested on a felony charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report; however, Smollett's legal team has denied the allegations on their client's behalf. "The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election," his legal team wrote in a statement. "Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence and feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing." Smollett is now out on $100,000 bond, and is due back in court March 14. In wake of the scandal, many celebrities have condemned the actor for carrying out the alleged hoax. Empire executives—Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo, and Dennis Hammer—also announced that Smollett's role will be cut from the final two episodes of the current season; however, Entertainment Tonight has reported that Smollett's character, Jamal Lyon, will appear in the March 13 episode. Though the outlet does not specify where it got this information, the report cites the episode synopsis: "Jamal and Kai try to figure out where they stand and a mystery begins to unravel." It's important to note that the current season premiered this past September, and that the description for next week's episode was likely written before Smollett's arrest.<doc-sep>Queen Latifah says she’s “gotta go” with “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s claims of a “MAGA country” attack in Chicago on Jan. 29 despite charges of felony disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. The celebrity told Yahoo News’ “Through Her Eyes” for an interview released Tuesday that she will back Mr. Smollett’s allegations of a racist and homophobic beating until she sees “definitive proof” proving contrary. “The guy I’ve seen has always been someone who cares about people, who cares about others, and who’s very kind and who’s always been cool and sweet — and that’s the guy I know,” the entertainer told host Zainab Salbi. “So, until I could see some definitive, which I haven’t seen yet, then, you know, I gotta go with him until I see otherwise.” Ms. Salbi then pressed her guest to expand on what the story means through a “racial justice lens.” “I don’t even know what to make of it,” the actress, who appeared on “Empire” in 2017 as the character Carlotta Brown, said. “All I know is that I hope everything works out in the end, and everybody basically comes out unscathed.” Mr. Smollett, a black gay man, claims he was attacked by two men in frigid weather in Chicago at 2 a.m. An exhaustive investigation involving the examination of hundreds of hours of surveillance footage led authorities to brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo. They say they were paid to attack the actor in an orchestrated attack involving rope, bleach and the “MAGA country!” taunt. Mr. Smollett could face three years in prison if he is convicted of the charges against him. The premiere episode of “Through Her Eyes” airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. EST. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>Jussie Smollett was arrested in February on charges of filing a false police report after Chicago officers concluded the actor likely staged a highly publicized hate crime against himself. Many have criticized the Empire star, but he does have a few notable names in his corner, including Queen Latifah. The Oscar-nominated actress spoke to Yahoo News about the complicated case, saying Smollett has always been a stand-up individual. “The guy I’ve seen has always been someone who cares about people, who cares about others, and who’s very kind and who’s always been cool and sweet. And that’s just the guy I know. So until I can see some definitive proof—which I haven’t seen yet—then, you know, I gotta go with him until I see otherwise.” Latifah’s sentiments echo those of Tyler Perry, who sa id Smollett told him directly that he was not involved in his own attack. “I have personally spoken to Jussie, and he is adamant that he’s telling the truth,” Perry said. “Also, everyone that I know who knows him says that he is not the kind of person who would make up such a horrible and awful thing. Yet the evidence seems to state otherwise. I’m lost for words. To stoke fears and raise racial tensions is wrong in every situation on all sides. Yet my prayers are still with him and his family and our Nation. Can we please stop the hate?” If found guilty, Smollett could face up to three years in prison and substantial fines.<doc-sep>“Through Her Eyes” is a weekly half-hour show hosted by human rights activist Zainab Salbi that explores contemporary issues from a female perspective. You can watch the full episode of “Through Her Eyes” every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Roku. In a wide-ranging interview on Feb. 26 with the Yahoo News show “Through Her Eyes,” Queen Latifah said she will stand by actor Jussie Smollett until she sees conclusive evidence to support claims from law enforcement that he staged an attack on himself. “The guy I’ve seen has always been someone who cares about people, who cares about others, and who’s very kind and who’s always been cool and sweet. And that’s just the guy I know,” Latifah said. “So until I can see some definitive proof – which I haven’t seen yet – then, you know, I gotta go with him until I see otherwise.” During the interview, Latifah also talked about her ever-evolving career in rap, film and television, and about the changes she would still like to see in the music industry. She discussed the Smollett case amid a broader discussion on the pressures of fame and staying grounded in Hollywood. “I don’t even know what to make of it,” she continued. “All I know is that I hope everything works out in the end and everybody basically comes out unscathed.” Smollett had reported in January that he was attacked by two people yelling racial and homophobic slurs. Chicago police initially called it a possible hate crime, but now say that Smollett hired two acquaintances – brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo – to help him stage the assault. Smollett is out on $100,000 bond, and is due back in court March 14 on a felony charge of disorderly conduct. He has also been suspended from the hit Fox show “Empire,” which he had starred in since 2015. Smollett has maintained that he did not fabricate the attack. You can watch the full episode of Salbi’s interview with Queen Latifah on March 12 at 8 pm ET on Roku and on yahoonews.com.<doc-sep>
Queen Latifah is standing by “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. The “Girl’s Trip” actress said she supports the publicly scrutinized actor after he was arrested last month and charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report for a hate crime he allegedly staged against himself in January. “The guy I’ve seen has always been someone who cares about people, who cares about others, and who’s very kind and who’s always been cool and sweet,” Latifah, 48, told Zainab Salbi, host of Yahoo News show “Through Her Eyes.” “And that’s just the guy I know. So until I can see some definitive proof – which I haven’t seen yet – then, you know, I gotta go with him until I see otherwise.” ROBIN ROBERTS ON JUSSIE SMOLLETT INTERVIEW: IT WAS A NO-WIN SITUATION FOR ME' She said she simply hopes “everything works out in the end and everybody basically comes out unscathed.” Latifah once appeared on “Empire” during a crossover episode with FOX’s “Star,” a series that she is a regular. CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD BLASTS JUSSIE SMOLLETT FOR ALLEGED HOAX: 'I NEVER BELIEVED THIS STORY' Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said last month that Smollett, 36, orchestrated a "phony attack" in order to take "advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career." BROTHER INVOLVED IN ALLEGED JUSSIE SMOLLETT STAGED ATTACK SAY THEY 'REGRET' THEIR INVOLVEMENT Johnson said at the news conference that Smollett also sent a racist and homophobic threatening letter to himself at the Fox studio lot before the attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary. Smollett is currently out on a $100,000 bond and is scheduled back in court March 14. His role as “Jamal” on “Empire” has since been reduced and he’s been scrubbed from the final two episodes of the season.