'Empire' creator Lee Daniels sends support to Jussie Smollett: 'He is my son'

Despite all that's transpired in the Jussie Smollett case, "Empire" creator Lee Daniels still stands behind the actor.

In late March, Chicago prosecutors suddenly dropped the 16-count indictment against Smollett, whom they'd indicted for disorderly conduct and accused of filing a false police report about his alleged Jan. 31 attack.

In an interview with "Extra" that was published Tuesday, Daniels, 59, said that the Smollett saga has taught him not to judge.

"I think that what I'm learning right now is that I can't judge," he said. "I can only support him because he is like my son, he is my son, and so I'm with him. So I can only support him and I can only give him compassion."

He added that the events of the last three months have impacted the show's other stars.

"The cast is upset. It is a sad time, and we are slowly healing," he said.

Daniels isn't alone in backing up the actor: Taraji P. Henson, who plays Smollett's mother, has also stood by him.

"I'm happy that the truth has finally been set free because I knew it all along," she told USA TODAY in March. "We're all happy for him, and thank God the truth prevailed."

A few days later, NAACP Image Awards host Anthony Anderson said he hoped Smollett would take home a trophy from the March 30 award show.

“I hope he wins," Anderson said. "I’m happy for him that the system worked for him in his favor because the system isn’t always fair, especially for people of color. So I’m glad it worked out for him."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Empire' creator Lee Daniels sends support to Jussie Smollett: 'He is my son'