Taraji P. Henson There are great things in store for the BET Awards 2024. In front of her third season as presenter at Sunday’s annual show, Henson told ET’s Deidre Behar that she has a “cool AF” surprise for the opening.
“Oh, sir. It’s just another part of my talent that you can see,” she told ET with a laugh. “You’ll see a lot of things. (It will be) another surprise for a lot of my fans who didn’t know I could do this. I’ve done it before, but not on Culture’s Biggest Night. I think more people will see this talent.”
Although she hasn’t yet begun formal rehearsals for the surprise, Henson, 53, said she’s been working on it in “mirror moments at home, in my sleep, in my head, in every waking moment, just so it’s in my body, so that when I go on stage, it feels natural.”
That opening moment is just one she’s hoping for in her return to the BET Awards.
“I think it’s the live theater of it all. I was trained in theater, so I feel most comfortable on stage,” Henson said, before sharing that fans can expect an “uplifting” theme throughout the show.
“It’s about empowerment, it’s about unity, and that’s not going to change,” she said of her personal brand. “We’re going to have fun.”
Henson won’t be the only star at Sunday’s event, as performances by Ice seasoning, Victoria Monet, Lauryn Hill, Will Smith and more are scheduled.
“I’m proud of him,” Henson said of Smith, 55, who is debuting new music at the ceremony. “You can’t keep a good man down.“
Then there’s Usher, who will be honored with BET’s prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.
“If he hasn’t proven he’s at the top of his game and has remained at the top of his game for years and can come out and prove it whenever he wants. I mean, what is there to discuss?” Henson said. “I’ve seen Usher everywhere. I’ve been to Las Vegas, I’ve been to Paris. Usher, if you have a show on the moon, I’m going to go. I’m scared, but I can go after Usher.”
“I was there at the Super Bowl. I didn’t miss an Usher moment,” she continued, referring his Super Bowl LVIII halftime performance. “I am so honored to be hosting the night he receives his flowers. I am honored and blessed to be a part of his life, because he has also been a part of my moments for so many years.”
There to see it all will be Henson’s cousins, as well as his son, Marcell Johnson, and trainer Mike T. Of the latest addition, Henson joked, “Why are you coming?” before discussing his physical transformation.
“It’s hard. It’s been hard, but it’s something my coach and I have been working on for a while,” she said. “I’m ready to transition my body and I want to see my body look like I’ve never seen it before. So we’ve been working really, really, really hard.”
“I reduced the weight, that extra fat. That’s what you need to do to build, so we’re building,” Henson added. “I’m really sleepy. He woke me up this morning at 4. We started training at 5:30, but I had to wake up at 4 to be ready at 5:30. He’s been salivating ever since he heard the announcement about me hosting the BET Awards.”
Henson will host the 2024 BET awards on June 30th.
RELATED CONTENT: