Taraji P. Henson skipped the Met Gala to attend John Singleton's funeral
“My head would NOT have been in the game,” Henson shared.
While this year’s Met Gala was packed with celebrities dressed to the nines on Monday (May 6), one person who was noticeably absent from the soiree was Taraji P. Henson.
The “Empire” actress later revealed she was scheduled to attend the annual fashion event but chose to skip it in order to attend John Singleton’s funeral earlier that day. “Y’all I was supposed to be [Vera Wang’s] date tonight for the #metgala but as some of you may know I had to bury my dear sweet friend #JohnSingleton today in LA,” Henson shared on Instagram. “I had to back out of the #Met because My head would NOT have been in the game.”
Henson uploaded photos from Singleton’s memorial program before reposting the heartfelt message she received from Wang, adding, “Vera Wang is such a classy Lady she sent flowers and totally understood my position. I LOVE YOU FOREVER.” The “What Men Want” star even hinted at her ensemble for the Met Gala in 2020. “NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE CHARM FOR US!” she teased.
As previously reported, Singleton’s private funeral was held in Los Angeles for close friends and family members. Photos obtained by TMZ show Tyrese, Nia Long, Ludacris, Ving Rhames, Ice Cube, Tina Knowles, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters were just a few of the guests who attended in addition to Henson.
Singleton was reportedly buried at Forest Lawn in Hollywood Hills following the service. The beloved filmmaker passed away at the age of 51 after suffering a major stroke last month. His death certificate lists the cause of death as “acute ischemic stroke” and reveals Singleton was taken off of life support on April 28, one day before his family shared the news with the public.
Last week (May 3), the Oscar-nominated director was honored at the Tribeca Film Festival when his directorial debut, 1991’s Boyz n the Hood, was screened for free at the annual fair. Keep reading to see Henson’s revelation about the Met Gala and her decision to attend Singleton’s funeral instead ahead.