Who is Jussie Smollett and was the Empire actor attacked in hate crime in Chicago?
EMPIRE actor Jussie Smollett was accused by Chicago Police of paying two men to attack him in a bid to boost his career but the charges have been dropped.
The actor was taken to hospital at 2am on Tuesday, January 29 after he said he was attacked by two masked men shouting racial and anti-gay slurs and “This is MAGA (Make America Great Again) country!”.
Who is Jussie Smollett?
The 35-year-old African American is best known for his portrayal of musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox hip-hop musical drama series Empire, for which he received great acclaim.
Smollett has also appeared in Ridley Scott’s science fiction film Alien: Covenant as Ricks and in Marshall as Langston Hughes.
He began his career as a child actor in 1987 starring in commercials and films, including The Mighty Ducks in 1992 and Rob Reiner’s North in 1994.
Jussie came out as gay in March 2015 during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Was the Empire star attacked in hate crime in Chicago?
Jussie Smollett was taken to hospital in Chicago at 2am on Tuesday, January 29, after two men allegedly put a noose around his neck.
The two unknown assailants, police said, began a “possible racially motivated” attack, yelling racial and gay slurs.
The attacker was said to have hit him in the face, poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing, police said.
Detectives previously released CCTV footage of the suspected attackers.
But then the Chicago Police Department said “the trajectory of the investigation” shifted after two men were released without charge.
The two men, Nigerian brothers Abimbola ‘Abel’ and Olabinjo ‘Ola’ Osundairo, were later released after new evidence emerged during the investigation.
Cops said they were no longer suspects in the case.
They then wanted to reinterview Smollett for a follow-up — but the actor’s lawyers said he felt “victimised” by reports that he may have been involved in the attack.
“Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying”, a statement from law firm Todd Pugh and Victor P Henderson said.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said: “We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation.”
Cops say the gay black actor PAID two friends to carry out the “attack”.
Detectives quizzed him after suggesting he staged the elaborate assault, possibly in a bizarre bid to boost his career.
A Grand Jury, which decides whether someone should be indicted for a serious crime, was notified it would hear testimony as early alleging Smollett filed a false police report, according to law enforcement sources
Just days earlier, and before the shock twist in the story emerged, A-listers had flooded social media with their support for the 36-year-old.
Smollett was in custody and could have faced three years in jail after he was sensationally charged with lying over a “racist attack”.
Cops raised concerns over the gay black actor’s story – amid suggestions he staged it in a bizarre bid to boost his career.
Chicago Police announced Smollett had been charged with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report at the beginning of March.
Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter: “Felony criminal charges have been approved by @CookCountySAO against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report.
“Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest.”
Guglielmi added: “Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives.”
Smollett would have faced up to three years in prison if convicted under Illinois law.
Responding to the charge, Smollett’s lawyers Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson said they planned to mount an “aggressive defence”.
Smollett paid two men £3,000 to get him in shape for a music video, and not to fake a racist attack, the pair have claimed.
The Empire actor was accused of paying brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo to stage a hoax racist attack on him to get attention.
But the brothers claim the cash was for them to train him for five weeks after Smollett “wanted abs like his”, reported TMZ.
Both Abel and Ola agreed to train Jussie, and also give him a five-week nutrition plan, they reportedly say.
A few days before the alleged “attack”, Smollett paid the two men with the cheque’s memo reading “5 weeks training nutrition plan”.
What’s the latest?
On March 26, Smollett had all charges against him dropped by US prosecutors.
Smollett’s attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a statement that their client’s record has now “been wiped clean.”
Following the announcement, an emotional Smollett said: “I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.
“I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I had been accused of. This has been an incredibly difficult time – honestly one of the worst of my entire life.
“But I am a man of faith and a man who has knowledge of my history and I would not bring my family our lives or the movement through a fire like this – I just wouldn’t.”
Smollett’s co-star Taraji P Henson told USA Today: “I’m happy that the truth has finally been set free, because I knew it all along. We’re all happy for him, and thank God the truth prevailed.”
Meanwhile the city’s mayor revealed his disappointment about the prosecutors’ decision to drop the charges as a “whitewash of justice”.
It still remains unclear why prosecutors dropped the charges against him.
Though police provide the state’s attorney office with evidence, it is ultimately up to prosecutors whether to pursue a case.
Smollett voluntarily agreed to give up his $10,000 (£7,500) bail money and his lawyer insists there had been no deal with state prosecutors.
DRUG CLAIMS
Smollett told officers he has a drug problem as they arrested him, according to US reports.
Cops later said the Empire actor bought ecstasy from an alleged accomplice suspected of pretending to be an attacker in the hoax.
During his arrest he reportedly told officers he struggled with drugs and had never been treated.
And text messages that emerged later appear to show Jussie asking colleague Abel Osundairo for ecstasy.
Jussie is understood to have sent him a series of messages asking to buy “Molly”, which is commonly known as ecstasy, TMZ reports.
Smollett told his 1.4million Twitter followers that “frauds are everywhere” just two days before allegedly staging a “racist” attack in a bid to boost his career.
The disgraced Empire actor also warned fans not to “look for fame” and joked about “whooping your own ass” in tweets that have since been branded “ironic”.
The tweet went on to advise followers to stay away from drugs, which may also appear hypocritical in light of reports Smollett told cops he had a drug problem as he was arrested.
It added: “Salt, cocaine and anthrax can all appear to be sugar…(the “refined” kind of course) just be careful out here fam.”
He was obviously already laying the foundation for all this.
Twitter User Replying To Smollett’s Tweet
Followers were quick to blast the actor, branding him “hilariously stupid” for writing the tweet so close to the ‘hoax’.
“That makes it even more hilarious stupid,” the user said. “He was obviously already laying the foundation for all this.
“Either that, or guilt was eating him up and he hadn’t even played the part yet.”
Another replied saying it “sounds like you could take your own advice”, while a different user joked: “He was giving us fair warning!”.
What has the creator of Empire Lee Daniels said of the attack?
Empire creator Lee Daniels has said “America is better than that” after the show’s star was injured in a potential hate crime.
He said the incident was “just another f***ing day in America” and urged the nation to improve.
Speaking in a video on Instagram, an emotional Daniels said: “You didn’t deserve, nor does anybody deserve, to have a noose put around your neck, to have bleach thrown on you, to be called ‘die f***ing, n*****’ or whatever they said to you.
“You are better than that. We are better than that. America is better than that.
“It starts at home. We have to love each other regardless of what sexual orientation we are.”
Halle Berry also took to Twitter to condemn the alleged attack, declaring that her “heart is hurting knowing that he’s suffering”.
She added: “The fact his presence on this earth would be perceived as a threat to anyone only shows the magnitude of their fear and confusion.
“I pray that our country learns to heal, that we may see each other for WHO we are and nothing more.”
Ariana Grande wrote: “What happened to Jussie makes me really f***ing sick to my stomach.
“I can’t believe shit like this is really still happening everyday. What kind of world ?
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“Sending all of the healing energy / love I possibly can and hoping for change. What can we do ? Tell me & i’m there.”
While Reese Witherspoon deemed the incident “beyond upsetting”.
She wrote: “What happened to @JussieSmollett is a truly horrible racist, homophobic hate crime.
“I hope we can find an end to the hate and fear that plagues this country. Praying for your recovery, Jussie.”
And Zendaya said: “This is heartbreaking and terrifying…please pay attention to what’s happening here.”
Katy Perry was also one of many other celebrities – including Janet Jackson and Michael B Jordan – to offer their condolences and disgust at the act.
She wrote: “Standing with and sending love to @JussieSmollett today… this is a racist hate crime and is disgusting and shameful to our country.”
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