In a very surprising turn of events, Empire Star Jussie Smollet has been arrest after it emerged that he orchestrated a false hate crime.
The 36 year old was on Wednesday morning was named a suspect in the criminal investigation that saw him beaten by two men in what was initially thought to be an homophophic hate crime. The actor stands accused of making up the details of the said attack that ended with him having a noose placed around his neck and seeking medical attention. He has now been charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.
Read Also: ‘Empire’ Star Jussie Smollet Brutalized In Racist, Homophobic Attack
Smollett’s attorneys provided a statement:
“Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”
The latest development comes after Smollett’s lawyers successfully delayed the hearing of two Nigerian brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, who were scheduled to testify before a grand jury. The brothers, formerly named persons of interest in the purported attack, were moments away from testifying at a Chicago courthouse Tuesday when Smollett’s defense team persuaded prosecutors to halt the proceedings.
Chicago’s CBS 2 reported that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office received a call from Smollett’s lawyers stating that they might have new evidence in the case. TMZ in its own report said that this call successfully delayed the proceedings of the grand jury, because either Smollett and/or his attorneys had said they were prepared to sit down with police.
Chicago police say the 36 year old Empire star staged the attack to ‘advance his career’ because he was dissatisfied with his salary and wanted a pay raise. There are also unconfirmed reports that he will likely be suspended from the popular Fox show till further notice.
