2 of 20

Apega/WENN/Ivan Nikolov/WENN

Taraji P Henson Clarifies Red Carpet Moment With Ryan Seacrest

Sunday night’s Academy Awards were drama free for the most part, but Twitter did get a little carried away over an exchange between Taraji P. Henson and Ryan Seacrest that many people interpreted as classic “black girl” shade…

As you can see, Henson literally did a chin check and her tone and verbiage was sort of pointed and ambiguous to the point where it was hard to tell whether she was dressing down Seacrest, who has faced allegations of impropriety by a former E! stylist Suzie Hardy… Seacrest was cleared in February after an investigation by the network found there was “insufficient evidence to support the claims.”

Now that things have gotten hot, Taraji P. Henson says she “absolutely” supports Ryan Seacrest, telling PEOPLE her comments were “misconstrued.”

“I did it to keep his chin up. It’s an awkward position to be in. He’s been cleared but anyone can say anything,” she says.

When asked point-blank whether she was supporting the E! host, Henson replied “absolutely.”

Hmmmmmm. So why the confusion?

“The universe has a way of taking care of taking care of good people,” with a touch on the chin of Seacrest. “You know what I mean?”

It’s gotta be the combination of the tone and touch.

It probably also didn’t help that Henson told ABC’s Wendi Mclendon-Covey, “I’m great now that I’m in your company,” following her interview with Seacrest.

https://twitter.com/melissamalamut/status/970458007741108224

Still astute viewers noticed Henson ended the Seacrest interview with a hug.

Seacrest also addressed the exchange on Twitter by keeping a positive spin.

SO…. What we wanna know IS, do you believe Taraji supports Seacrest? Or is she caving in to Hollyweird politics?

Hit the flip for some of the reactions to her comments.

You May Also Like

Girl receives flu shot at outdoor free clinic

This week in politics, the vibes are messy, alarming, and straight-up confusing. From late night TV being snatched off the air to vaccine policies getting hijacked, it’s giving “WTF is going on?” Let’s break down the headlines everyone’s talking about inside. First Amendment on the Chopping Block Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show has been pulled from ABC, and Stephen Colbert’s show? Cancelled completely. The official line is murky, but the bigger picture is loud. Free speech is being tested under the Trump administration. While Trump once said he’d “honor” the First Amendment, recent moves suggest he’s working off a remix version that only benefits him. Case in point? The Guardian reports his $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times. A judge already tossed it out, saying Trump’s claims about “false content” violated federal rules. Still, the fact that these lawsuits and cancellations keep happening has people questioning the future of free expression in America. CDC Shake-Up Sparks Health Concerns Meanwhile, over at the CDC, things are getting political fast. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has basically turned the agency upside down, firing all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee and replacing them with appointees that include vaccine skeptics. On top of that, the CDC director is out, high-level staffers are resigning, and decisions about vaccine safety are suddenly more about politics than science. Public health leaders are calling this move dangerous, saying it dismantles independent oversight just when Americans need clarity most. According to California’s government website, they are one of the few states pushing back on the federal government’s stance. California, Washington, and Hawaii aren’t taking it lying down. The states have formed an alliance pushing back on the feds, promising to keep vaccine guidance rooted in science, safety, and transparency. Their health officers are reviewing guidelines from trusted medical groups like the AAP and ACOG to ensure communities still have access to clinically recommended vaccines. Trump & Xi Meet About US TikTok’s Next Chapter And then there’s TikTok. After years of “will they, won’t they?” drama, Trump announced that he and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping approved a deal for TikTok’s U.S. operations. According to BBC, the plan reportedly hands control to a group of U.S. investors, sidestepping a shutdown. Trump called the call with Xi “productive” on Truth Social, and even, teased a face-to-face meetup at the APEC summit in South Korea this fall. From free speech battles to vaccine wars and TikTok drama, this week in politics has us all asking the same thing: WTFGO?

Global Grind