Chris Rock defies NAACP Image Awards mandate to rip Jussie Smolett: 'You don't get no respect from me'

Despite being told there'd be "no Jussie Smolett commentary” at Saturday’s NAACP Image Awards ceremony, comedian Chris Rock slammed the “Empire” star onstage, IndieWire reports.

Last week, the State’s Attorney’s Office in Cook County, Illinois suddenly dropped 16 counts of disorderly conduct against Smolett. Prosecutors said Smolett faked and falsely reported a hate crime after he claimed, on January 21, that two men attacked him with bleach and yelled, “this is MAGA country.” Smolett denies the charges.

At the NAACP Image Awards, Rock addressed the controversy while presenting the award for Outstanding Comedy Series:

“They said no Jussie Smollett jokes. What a waste of light skin. You know what I could do with that light skin? That curly hair? My career would be out of here. I’d be fucking running Hollywood.”

“What the hell was he thinking?” Rock asked. “From now on, you’re Jessie from now on. You don’t even get the ‘U’ no more. That ‘U’ was respect. You don’t get no respect from me.”

Watch the clip below: