Taraji P. Henson skips Met Gala to attend John Singleton's funeral

(FOX 5 DC) - Celebrities, assemble! Many entertainment and fashion icons graced the Met Gala on Monday evening but one person was noticeably missing, Taraji P. Henson.

Instead of joining the slew of celebrities who were dressed to represent their 'Camp' through fashion, Henson was at a more somber affair-- the funeral of the late John Singleton.

The Empire star took to Instagram to explain how she was supposed to be Vera Wang's date for the Met Gala but that she had to bury her "dear sweet friend John Singleton" in Los Angeles on Monday. She went on to say she was not in the right headspace to directly transition into a more celebratory fashion event.

She also wrote Wang a sweet message:

"Vera Wang is such a classy lady. She sent flowers and totally understood my position. I love you forever Vera Wang. NEXT YEAR WILL BE THE CHARM FOR US!!! GOOD LUCK TONIGHT!!!"

Henson worked with Singleton on several projects and starred in a pair of his movies, including "Four Brothers" and "Baby Boy." He also directed an episode of FOX's Empire, and served as a producer for the 2005 movie "Hustle & Flow."