Did Taraji P. Henson Really Throw Shade At Ryan Seacrest At Oscars?

Taraji P. Henson clarified that Ryan Seacrest actually has her support after a lot of Twitter users assumed that that she threw shade at him at Oscars on Sunday night, amid an allegation of sexual misconduct against the TV host.

“The universe has a way of taking care of taking care of good people,” Henson told Seacrest during an interview on the Oscars red carpet, as the “Empire” actress touched the E! host on the chin. “You know what I mean?”

After the interview, several viewers took to Twitter to point out that Henson was throwing shade at Seacrest — a speculation that was bolstered after the “Hidden Figures” actress told ABC’s Wendi Mclendon-Covey, “I’m great now that I’m in your company,” right after leaving Seacrest’s place on the red carpet.

Henson, however, told People that the comments she made during her interview with Seacrest were “misconstrued.”

“I did it to keep his chin up,” the Oscar-nominated actress said of why she touched the “American Idol” host’s chin. “It’s an awkward position to be in. He’s been cleared but anyone can say anything.”

When asked whether she was supporting Seacrest, Henson answered, “Absolutely.”

Seacrest also addressed the situation later in the evening. In a tweet, the “Live! with Kelly” co-host wrote that he had “nothing but love” for his friend Henson. He also thanked her for hanging out with him on the red carpet.

Despite speculations that the red carpet moment between Henson and Seacrest ended on a sour note, a Twitter user shared a clip of the latter part of the interview that suggests that everything is fine between the two. In the video, Henson and Seacrest shared a hug after telling each other that they felt great to see one another.

Last Monday, Variety published an interview with Seacrest’s former “E! News” stylist Suzie Hardy, in which she claimed that the TV host sexually assaulted her multiple times — including grabbing her crotch multiple times — over the six years (2007 – 2013) that she was employed by the network.

In a statement to People on Tuesday, Seacrest denied the claims and accused Hardy of attempting to blackmail him.