'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett skipped the NAACP Image Awards Dinner on Friday night as controversy continued to swirl around the dismissal of felony charges against him for false reporting of a hate crime.
Meanwhile, at the same time as the awards show played out, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx defended her office's decision to drop the charges against Smollett in a new op-ed.
Smollett, who stars as Jamal Lyon on the Fox series, had flown to Los Angeles on Wednesday, sparking rumors he might be in attendance at the awards show. Smollett was nominated for best supporting actor in a television drama for his role on "Empire" -- an award he has been nominated for four years in a row and won in 2017.
Actor Jussie Smollett talks to the media before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped, March 26, 2019, in Chicago. Jesse Williams, of "Grey's Anatomy," won the award on Friday night as part of the untelevised awards portion of the show. The rest of the awards will be given away live on TV One Saturday night.
All 16 felony counts against Smollett were abruptly dropped by prosecutors on Tuesday even though First Assistant State's Attorney Joe Magats said the office still believes he lied about the hate crime he claimed took place in Chicago on Jan. 29. Smollett falsely claimed he was exonerated outside the courthouse on Tuesday.
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