CBS Reports Empire’ Actor Jussie Smollett Orchestrated Hate Crime Attack
Police investigating the alleged hate crime attack of ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett reportedly believe the incident was staged.
Officers reportedly say the non-cooperating witnesses and persons of interest in the “attack” left the country
CBS Chicago broke the story: The men, who are both of Nigerian descent, have appeared as extras on the show and their attorney, Gloria Schmidt, says they do both know Smollett.
“They do know Jussie,” she said. “They have worked with him on Empire. My preliminary investigations show that on set it’s very tight. They’re all very cordial with each other, so they’re baffled why they are people of interest.”
The woman says she was confused, but she did know Smollett was from the show. She says she feels the police picked the two brothers up for questioning because there is a loose connection to Smollett, and the men left for Nigeria the same day of the attack
According to ABC7 Eyewitness News, police “are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of “Empire.”
On January 29, 2019, Smollett told police that he was attacked outside his apartment building upon returning home from walking to a fast-food restaurant, by two men in ski masks, who made racial and homophobic slurs and that the attackers used their hands, feet, and teeth as weapons in the assault. According to a statement released by the Chicago Police Department, the two suspects then “poured an unknown liquid” on Smollett and put a noose around his neck.
The Chicago Police Department has promised to charge Smollett for filing a false police report in regards to the alleged hate crime if it was in fact fabricated.
