(CNN) Friends and colleagues of Jussie Smollett are weighing in on the news that all the charges against the actor -- who was accused of staging a hate crime against himself -- have been dropped.

The announcement from prosecutors in Chicago came Tuesday.

Smollett had pleaded not guilty to 16 felony disorderly conduct charges. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said the reversal came after reviewing the facts in the case and that the actor agreed to forfeit his $10,000 bond.

Taraji P. Henson, who stars with Smollett on the Fox drama "Empire," told USA Today that she believed in his innocence from the beginning, "because I know him and I know his track record."

"I'm happy that the truth has finally been set free, because I knew it all along," Henson said. "We're all happy for him, and thank God the truth prevailed."