ABC(LOS ANGELES) — For now, Queen Latifah says she’s standing by her good friend Jussie Smollett.
In an interview with Yahoo‘s Through Her Eyes, Latifah says she’s not ready to condemn the Empire actor until she sees actual evidence that he staged his own attack back in January.
“Until somebody can show me some proof otherwise, I’m going with him, ” she said. “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.”
She continued, “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..”
As previously reported, Smollett turned himself in to police last month after reportedly staging the attack, in which he claimed two men had beat him while yelling racial and homophobic slurs and placing a noose around his neck. Now out on bond, the actor faces disorderly conduct charges for filing a false police report.
Latifah, a cast member of Fox’s Star who once appeared in an Empire/Star crossover episode, admitted that she doesn’t “even know what to make of” the allegations against Smollett.
“All I know is that I hope everything works out in the end and everybody basically comes out unscathed,” she said.
Through Her Eyes airs every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Roku.
Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.