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Queen Latifah on Jussie Smollett: ‘Until I see some definitive proof... I gotta go with him’

“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.