Chris Rock: Jussie Smollett, You Don't Get No Respect From Me #ImageAwards50 pic.twitter.com/97vpDkLltQ — TV One (@tvonetv) March 31, 2019

Apparently, telling Chris Rock that he can’t make a Jussie Smollett joke only sets you up for a Jussie Smollett joke.

Rock, 54, who has a home in Alpine, appeared at the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, where producers were, according to Rock, not keen on anyone making a joke about Smollett.

Recently, all charges were dropped against Smollett, an “Empire” actor, after he claimed that two masked men attacked him in Chicago on Jan. 29 and tied a rope around his neck, pouring bleach on him. He said the men had hurled racist and homophobic slurs during the attack. A month later, Smollett, 36, was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct as police accused him of staging the attack. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped all charges against Smollett on Tuesday.

Rock took to the stage at the 50th NAACP Image Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood to present an award.

“They said no Jussie Smollett jokes,” Rock said, to hearty laughter from the audience. “Yeah, I know, I know,” he continued. “What a waste of light skin, you know? You know what I could do with that light skin? That curly hair? My career would be outta here! (I’d) be (expletive) running Hollywood!"

After stopping to laugh for a few beats, Rock continued.

“What the hell was he thinking? From now on, you’re Jessie. From now on. You don’t even get the U no more.” The camera cut to “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah doubling over with laughter in the audience. “That U was respect," Rock said. "You ain’t getting no respect from me.”

Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon on Fox’s “Empire,” was absent from the NAACP Image Awards despite being nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series (he did not win).

Others in attendance at the Image Awards, including “Chicago” showrunner Lena Waithe, 34, and actress Yara Shahidi (“Black-ish," “Grown-ish), said they stood with Smollett, supporting the actor. Shahidi, 19, made the comment onstage while standing alongside her castmates to accept an award for outstanding comedy series for “Black-ish.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the dropping of charges against Smollett “a whitewash of justice." Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said the city “is still owed an apology.”

Smollett had said that the men who attacked him shouted “this is MAGA country” and that he saw one of them was white. Police later said the actor had paid $3,500 to hire two black men — brothers Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo — to conduct a staged attack.

This week, “Saturday Night Live” dedicated a sketch to the Smollett controversy (see clip below), in which Chris Redd plays Smollett, who again claims to have been attacked. Redd, who is late to a network meeting for “Empire,” takes several “clues" out of a bag, including three letter Ks to signify the Ku Klux Klan. In the sketch, Smollett’s exasperated manager, played by Sandra Oh, cuts ties with him and series creator Lee Daniels tells the actor he has to fire him.

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