Months after the alleged attack Taraji sat down with Variety (via Popculture) to discuss a few topics in an interview that took place before all of the charges against Jussie were dropped. When asked about how everything surrounding the case affected the Empire set Taraji was very open and honest by answering “We’ll never be the same. No one will ever be the same. Forever changed. And it’s sad.”

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Taraji also realized in that moment that it was important for her to remain strong for the rest of the cast and crew because the one thing they needed at that time was strength and leadership.

“You’ve just got to be strong because the devil wants you weak, and the devil wants to catch you in a vulnerable moment and make you believe things that aren’t true,” Henson told the magazine. “I just stay strong. I know what side I’m on: I’m on faith’s side. I’ve got God, I know I’m a good person, so I just stay in that lane because powers that be and other sources from the outside can make you think things, but when you know what you know, you stay there right where you know what you know. I just hold onto my truth.”

After all of the charges were dropped against Jussie a few weeks ago Taraji once again lent support to her TV son.

While speaking to USA Today, Henson said, “When I know someone, there’s nothing you can say to make me flip on them, and that’s what we miss in this world. We need people that stand by us. Whatever happened to that? Why are we so easy to believe strangers over people we know?”

He will be back!

Finally, on today’s episode of The View Taraji spoke about mental health issues, her new movie The Best Of Enemies, and the fate of Jussie’s Empire character Jamal Lyon. According to Taraji, he will be back for Season 6 (around the 5:39 mark).

Regardless of which side of the Jussie case you stand on the one thing that’s certain is Taraji rides hard for her folks. And that’s probably why she’s one of the most beloved black actresses in Hollywood today.