The comedian joked about the 'Empire' star while presenting at the 2019 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday.
Chris Rock isn't holding back when it comes to Jussie Smollett.
The comedian took the stage at the 2019 NAACP Image Awards at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Saturday, where before presenting his category took a moment to call out the Empire actor and his recent court drama.
"I have to present an award," Rock began. "They said no Jussie Smollett jokes. Yeah, I know, I know. What a waste of light skin. You know what I could do with that light skin? That curly hair? My career would be outta here. I would be f**kin' running Hollywood."
"What the hell was he thinking?" he continued. "From now on, I ain't never gonna, Juss… you a Jessie from now on. You don't even get the 'U' no more. That 'U' is respect; you ain't getting no respect from me."
Smollett was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for his work on the Fox show. However, he skipped out on the dinner on Friday where his category was announced, and lost to Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. The event comes just days after all criminal charges against Smollett were dropped.
At an emergency court appearance on Tuesday, it was revealed that Smollett would no longer face charges for allegedly filing a false police report in which he claimed he was the victim of a hate crime. The decision to drop charges came less than two weeks after Smollett pleaded not guilty to the 16 felony counts he was indicted on earlier this month.
With many divided about Smollett's case, the host of the 50th NAACP Image Awards, Anthony Anderson, told ET earlier in the month that he supported Smollett, and hoped he would make an appearance at the ceremony.
"I think he's been speaking his truth since he started in this business," the Black-ish star expressed. "We're not even going to talk about what's happened as of recent, but I believe he's always spoken his truth and what better place to speak it than in front of friends and family, you know?"
After his charges were dropped, Smollett thanked his family and friends who stood by him throughout the situation.
"First of all I want to thank my family, my friends, the incredible people of Chicago and all over the country and the world who have prayed for me, who have supported me and who have showed me so much love," the actor told reporters. "No one will ever know how much that has meant to me and I will be forever grateful. I want you to know that not for a moment was it in vain. I have been truthful and consistent on every level since day one. I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I’ve been accused of."
See more in the video below.
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