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EMPIRE actor Jussie Smollett was accused in 2019 by Chicago Police who said he paid two men to attack him in a bid to boost his career.
The actor was taken to the hospital at 2am on January 29, 2019, after he claimed he was attacked by two masked men shouting racial and homophobic slurs and “This is MAGA (Make America Great Again) country!”
Who is Jussie Smollett?
Jussie Smollett is best known for his portrayal of musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox hip-hop musical drama series Empire. 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 Chicago?
Jussie Smollett was taken to the hospital in Chicago, Illinois at 2am on January 29, 2019, after two men allegedly attacked him in what he called a hate crime.
Smollett claimed his attackers hit him in the face, poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him, and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing, but after interviewing the two alleged attackers, Nigerian brothers Abimbola ‘Abel’ and Olabinjo ‘Ola’ Osundairo, police said, “the trajectory of the investigation” had changed.
They then wanted to reinterview Smollett for a follow-up — but the actor’s lawyers said he felt “victimized” 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.”
Did Jussie Smollett stage the attack?
Police said Smollett had paid two friends to carry out the “attack,” and detectives suggested he staged the elaborate assault to boost his career.
Chicago Police announced Smollett had been charged with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report on February 20, 2019, and he was arrested the following day.
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.”
Responding to the charge, Smollett’s lawyers Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson said they planned to mount an “aggressive defense,” and they claimed Smollett paid two men $3,500 to get him in shape for a music video, and not to stage a racially motivated attack.
What’s the latest?
Jussie Smollett was sentenced on March 10, 2022, for making false police reports and claiming he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019.
After nine hours’ deliberation, the jury found Smollett guilty and he received 30 months of felony probation, 150 days in jail, and a payout of $125k in restitution fees and an additional $25k fine.
Smollett continued to claim he is innocent and did not stage the attack, and speaking directly to the judge he said, “Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this.” He then turned to the court and said, “And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”
Judge James Linn spoke for 30 minutes before he carried out Smollett’s sentence and said, “There’s a side of you that has this arrogance, and selfishness and narcissism that’s just disgraceful.
“You’re not a victim of a racial hate crime, you’re not a victim of a homophobic hate crime. You’re just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that’s shameful.”
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