STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Taraji P. Henson Covers Allure Magazine

The "Empire" star says she's not letting a "knucklehead dude" come between her and her hard-earned success.

(Photo: Allure Magazine, July 2015) 

Taraji P. Henson has been killing it as the fierce Cookie Lyon in the hit show Empire and everyone’s taking notice. The actress is currently gracing her first national cover for Allure magazine’s July issue.

| SEE PHOTOS: TARAJI AND MORE STARS ON NEWSSTANDS NOW |

Inside, the glamazon poses in gorgeous dresses by Dsquared, J. Mendel, and a glitzy number by Temperley London. Did we mention how amazing her hair looks? That mane has volume for days!

Inside, Henson opened up about working on Empire, jumping through hurdles throughout her career and why it’s all been worth it in the end.

"I've had so many false starts," she said, but she’s chosen to see the positives in her journey. "If it's easy, what story are you going to tell? Nobody wants to hear about how easy it was. That doesn't inspire anyone."

Henson, who plays the ex-wife of a major hip hop mogul Lucious Lyon (played by Terrence Howard), is no stranger to the hustle. She remembers running a little hair salon business in her apartment in between her college classes and charging clients $20 for her beauty services.

"Oh, yeah, I knew how to hustle and make money. We used to do wet sets.... I bought a hooded dryer, and I had my box of rollers," she said. "I could have gone to jail; I had no license whatsoever. But it was just my friends. They were like, 'Girl, hook me up.'"

She added that she comes from “a family of hard workers,” which is probably why this unstoppable force isn’t about to cave to whims that might undo all her hard work.

"You have to stay professional. It is a business," she said. "I'm not letting no knucklehead dude come between my hard work and my money."

To read more snippets from her interview and view her photo shoot, click here.
BET.com always gives you the latest fashion and beauty trends, tips and news. We are committed to bringing you the best of Black lifestyle and celebrity culture.

Click here for a chance to win a trip to the 2015 BET Awards!

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.