Taraji P Henson gives the Met Gala a miss to attend John Singleton's funeral
There was one star noticeably absent from the proceedings of the Met Gala on Monday night. Actress Taraji P Henson pulled out of the Met Gala 2019 at the last minute citing personal reasons.
The actress chose to give the glitzy affair a miss to attend the funeral of Hollywood director John Singleton who was laid to rest in a private funeral on Monday.
Henson had her look planned and mapped out for fashion's most spectacular night. She had been in consultation with designer Vera Wang regarding her costume for the 'Camp' themed Met Gala. Page Six reports that Wang had created an 'epic look' for the 'Empire star.
Her cancellation, though last minute, had the full support of the designer. The designer has previously dressed her for a number of red carpet events like the Golden Globes this year and even last year's Oscars.
Henson's association with Singleton, the 'Boyz n the Hood' director, goes a long way back. She has starred in his films 'Four Brothers' and 'Baby Boy'. He was also the director for an episode of her hit show 'Empire' and helped produce her breakout movie 'Hustle & Flow'. On his death, she had taken to Twitter to say how she “could not stop crying.” She said: “If it were NOT for #JohnSingleton I would not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame He put me in my first feature film #BabyBoy.”
Singleton died a week ago at age 51, days after suffering a stroke. He became the youngest best director Oscar nominee for the film and was also nominated for writing its screenplay. He went on to direct numerous other films, including "Poetic Justice" and an installment in the "Fast and Furious" franchise, as well as several television episodes. The director has been praised by contemporaries for blazing a trail for black filmmakers.
Others who attended the funeral include "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler, football Hall of Famer Jim Brown and actors Ving Rhames, Morris Chestnut and Tyrese Gibson. Media was not allowed inside the funeral, which lasted about two hours. He was buried at the Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills.
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