Chris Rock Calls Jussie Smollett A ‘Waste Of Light Skin’ At NAACP Image Awards
While Jussie Smollett's controversial planned appearance at the 50th Annual NAACP Image Awards doesn’t seem to have materialized, the commentary about his high-profile "hate crime" scandal continues to roll in — with some of the most outrageous shots fired right from the stage.
While preparing to present an award, comedian Chris Rock told the audience that he was warned backstage, "No Jussie Smollett jokes."
A true rebel at heart, Rock went on to roast the Empire star, anyway — and he didn't hold back one bit.
"What a waste of light skin, you know?" he said, as the crowd erupted in laughter. "You know what I could do with that light skin? That curly hair? My career would be outta here. Runnin’ Hollywood!"
After asking, "What the hell was he thinking?," Rock went on to make a change to the embattled actor's name that will certainly spark some outrage.
"No more 'Jussie.' You’re Jessie from now on," he said. "That 'u' is respect. You ain't getting no respect from me."
While Rock is clearly not Team Jussie, Yara Shadidi is. The actress, who joined the Black-ish cast to accept the award for Best Comedy Series, confidently proclaimed, "I stand with Jussie," amid the sea of laughter.
Looks like this scandal has people as divided as ever.
Take a look at the moment, below: