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  1. #51
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    https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/18/enter...ire/index.html

    and another update

    (CNN)When Jussie Smollett released his debut album "Sum of My Music" last year, he was riding high.

    The actor and musician had also just finished directing an episode of his hit series "Empire" and appeared in the EPIX docu-series, "America Divided."
    "I'm not gonna lie and pretend otherwise, I want this s**t to do well," Smollett told Fader last March of his first full album. "If I didn't, I would just play it for my mother because she f***ing loves it or I would just try and pitch the songs for 'Empire.' But no...these songs really mean something to me and I want people to hear me."
    People are listening to Smollett now as questions mount over his report to police last month that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
    Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation have told CNN that Chicago police believe Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the alleged assault.
    Police sources: New evidence suggests Jussie Smollett orchestrated attack
    In a statement from his attorneys issued Saturday, Smollett denied playing a role in the attack.
    "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with," the statement read. "He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."

    The "Empire" star told authorities two men who were "yelling out racial and homophobic slurs" assaulted him on January 29. He said one attacker put a rope around his neck and poured an unknown chemical substance on him.
    Jussie Smollett case: Everything we know so far
    It's unclear what will happen with Smollett's "Empire" character if it is proven that he was involved in planning the attack.
    Other television shows have dealt severely with stars caught in controversy.
    ABC pulled the plug on the reboot of "Roseanne" last year after Roseanne Barr went on a racist rant on Twitter.
    The show was later brought back without Barr as "The Conners."
    That's not to say Fox would cancel "Empire" given that it's an ensemble series and not built around Smollett's character.
    Vlad Drazdovich, a senior account executive with public relations and crisis management firm Red Banyan, told CNN the situation with Smollett is nuanced.
    Smollett's position as a black man who identifies as gay garnered attention to the reported attack, Drazdovich said, but that focus cuts both ways if it's discovered that Smollett lied.
    "If his story does turn out to be false, the same people who gave him his platform could end his career," Drazdovich said.
    Stardom came to the 36-year-old Smollett later in life, but he has been in the industry since he was a child.
    One of six children of an African-American mother and white father, he was born in Santa Rosa, California.
    According to an interview he gave Good Day New York in 2015, his family moved when Smollett was two years old to his father's native Queens, New York.
    Smollett said he initially got into child modeling before trying his hand at movie work.
    "It's funny because Spike Lee is here and the first thing I ever did, the first two films we ever did was extra work on [Lee's film] 'Mo' Betta Blues' and 'New Jack City' by Mario Van Peebles," Smollett said. "We moved to LA when I was like seven."
    A young Smollett appeared in the movie "The Mighty Ducks" before snagging a role in the TV mini-series "Queen," which starred Halle Berry and aired in 1993.
    He and his siblings later starred in a short-lived ABC sitcom about a group of orphaned brothers and sisters called "On Our Own."

    Smollett's star began to rise more quickly when he landed the role of the middle son of the music industry powerhouse Lyon family on "Empire."
    Smollett's character, Jamal, was inspired in part by the show's creator, Lee Daniels, who is also a gay man.
    A scene from the first season in which Lyon patriarch, Lucious, played by Terrence Howard, throws a young Jamal into a trash can for dressing up in heels was based on Daniels' own experience.
    "My earliest memory was walking down the stairs in my mother's heels," Daniels told GQ in 2015. "My dad -- he was a cop -- put me in a trash can. He said, 'You already have it bad, cuz you're black— now you're a f****t, too.' "
    Daniels was one of the first people to offer support for Smollett after he reported the attack.
    "You didn't deserve -- nor anybody deserves -- to have a noose put around your neck, to have bleach thrown on you," Daniels said in an emotional video he posted on Instagram. "To be called 'die f****t,' 'n****r' or whatever they said to you. You are better than that."
    Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television, which produce "Empire," were also quick to support Smollett.
    "The entire studio, network and production stands united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate -- and especially against one of our own," the company said in a statement immediately after the reported attack.
    "Empire" showrunner Brett Mahoney told CNN earlier this month that the show had made no adjustments to their storylines in wake of the reported attack.
    "I wouldn't stoop to those cowards...in terms of allowing what they did to effect how I'm telling my story," Mahoney said.
    Smollett was back on set and in production on "Empire," Mahoney said at the time.

    The series returns with new episodes on March 13.
    Smollett is shown in scenes for an upcoming preview, as is his character's father Lucious Lyon standing over a white coffin.
    20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment released a statement regarding Smollett's role on the show after there was speculation that he may have staged the attack to keep from being written off the series.
    "The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of 'Empire' is patently ridiculous," the statement read. "He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him."
    CNN has reached out to Daniels and the studio for additional comment.

  2. #52
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    https://6abc.com/brothers-claim-juss...-says/5144861/

    Update

    CHICAGO -- Two brothers told police that "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett staged an attack on himself because he was upset a threatening letter he received a week prior did not get enough attention, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told ABC News on Monday.

    Detectives are actively investigating the allegation, but have not confirmed it to be true, the official said.

    Chicago police said this weekend that they are "eager" to re-interview Smollett after releasing the two brothers, who were initially identified as persons of interest in the alleged Jan. 29 attack in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood. A spokeswoman for Smollett said his attorneys are talking to police.

    The brothers, who are not considered suspects in the attack, also told police that they were paid to stage the attack, the official said.

    "We are not racist. We are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens," the brothers said in a statement.

    The FBI is investigating the letter, which was sent to the Chicago studio for "Empire." Last week, Smollett sat down with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts and spoke about the letter.

    "Just because on the letter, it had a stick figure hanging from a tree with a gun pointing towards it with the words that said, 'Smollett, Jussie, you will die, black (expletive),'" Smollett said. "There was no address, but the return address said in big, red, you know, like caps, "MAGA." Did I make that up too?

    After the police department investigated Smollett's attack for weeks as a possible hate crime, they discovered that one of the brothers bought the rope to be used in the attack at a local hardware store. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the store was the Crafty Beaver hardware store in Ravenswood.

    RELATED: Brothers tell police that Jussie Smollett paid them to stage attack, sources say

    Late Saturday, Smollett's attorneys Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson released a statement, addressing reports that the actor may have staged the attack.
    "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.

    "One of these purported suspects was Jussie's personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie's complicity.

    "Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate. At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to "unnamed" sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels."


    A CPD spokesman said Sunday, "While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what's been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident."

  3. #53
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    https://pagesix.com/2019/02/19/jussi...k-controversy/

    An Update the Empire TV show has now removed scenes involving Smollett

    Scenes featuring Jussie Smollett on the hit TV show “Empire” have been drastically cut amid the whirlwind of controversy surrounding his alleged hate attack, according to a report Tuesday.

    The actor, who plays gay singer-songwriter Jamal Lyon on the show, was supposed to have nine scenes and a big musical performance in the second-to-last episode of Season 5, production sources told TMZ.

    But five scenes and the musical number have been axed.

    Smollett’s character is also no longer the focus of his remaining four scenes, which will now feature an ensemble of characters.

    The 36-year-old actor is spending far less time on set as a result. He’ll be working Friday and possibly Thursday but won’t be rehearsing.

    “Empire” scriptwriters have been scrambling over the last 24 hours to revise this season’s scripts.

    Smollett claims he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack near his Chicago apartment Jan. 29, but suspicion has since emerged that he paid two friends to help stage the assault.

    There’s a 50/50 chance that a grand jury will begin weighing an indictment as early as Tuesday, TMZ said. Smollett could be charged with felony filing a false police report.

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    https://pagesix.com/2019/02/18/jussi...uditioned-for/

    Fallout motive gets more insane

    Jussie Smollett auditioned for a role in a play that shares eerie similarities to his alleged attack — and he may have used Instagram to tip off the brothers to his whereabouts the night of the beat-down, according to a report on Monday.

    In the hours before the violent Jan. 29 assault in Chicago, the “Empire” star was in New York City for a day of readings for a possible revival of “Take Me Out,” sources told the Daily Mail.

    The Tony-winning production follows a biracial baseball player who is attacked by a pitcher — and called a “n—-r” and “f—-t” — after coming out. The characters compete on a team called the New York Empires.

    Smollett was among actors, including Zachary Quinto, to perform two readings that day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon.

    Afterward, he popped to La Guardia Airport to fly back to Chicago to film the final episodes of the fourth season of “Empire.”

    But when the flight got delayed, Smollett began posting Instagram stories — which cops now believe were meant for brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo to see ahead of the attack, a source told the Mail.

    One story had the airport tagged as a location and the caption, “Guess who is still on this [motherf–king] runway after two hours?”

    Another two hours later said “Hey it’s me again … think i took off yet? Naaaaah…”

    Smollett allegedly made a third post when the plane finally took off.

    The Osundairos told cops that the attack was supposed to happen earlier than Jan. 29, CBS Chicago reported on Sunday.

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    https://pagesix.com/2019/02/19/abc-s...-attack-story/

    Now theres questions over how ABC News handled the Smollett interview

    ABC employees were dubious about Jussie Smollett’s alleged racist and homophobic assault immediately following his interview with Robin Roberts, a new report says.

    Staffers who were present for the exclusive sit-down with the “Good Morning America” host felt the truth behind Smollett’s story was “up in the air,” sources told The Blast.

    A source told The Post that the interview came about because the “Empire” star was “adamant” about appearing on “GMA.”

    He specifically requested that Roberts handle the interview because the two knew each other from when she appeared on an episode of “Empire” that aired in April, according to The Blast.

    Smollett has claimed he was attacked in Chicago on Jan. 29 but suspicions have surfaced that he paid two brothers to stage the assault.

    The veteran broadcaster probed Smollett about his allegations in many different ways during the interview that aired Thursday, but he maintained that he was a victim.

    During the sit-down, Smollett also tamped down doubts over his account of what happened.

    “At first it was the thing of like, listen, if I tell the truth then that’s it because it’s the truth,” he said at the time. “Then it became a thing of, like, how can you doubt that? How can you not believe that? It’s the truth.”

    On Monday, Roberts addressed the growing controversy surrounding Smollett’s story.

    “When I sat down with Jussie, it was Tuesday night in Chicago, at the time to give his first account, publicly give his first account of what he said happened,” Roberts said on “Good Morning America.”

    “At that time, on Tuesday, police officers were saying that his account was consistent, it was credible, and that he was being cooperative. Now this was all before the interview aired on Thursday, and then we found out about the brothers.”

    A grand jury will begin hearing evidence as early as Tuesday that could result in felony charges against Smollett, TMZ reported. He could be charged with filing a false police report.

  7. #57
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    https://abc7chicago.com/cook-co-stat...ation/5144861/

    Here is more on the scandal with Smollett

    Chicago police said this weekend that they are "eager" to re-interview Smollett after releasing the two brothers, who were initially identified as persons of interest in the alleged attack. A spokeswoman for Smollett said his attorneys are talking to police.

    The brothers, who are not considered suspects in the attack, also told police that they were paid to stage the attack, the official said.

    "We are not racist. We are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens," the brothers said in a statement.11

    The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the letter, which was sent to the Chicago studio for "Empire" on Jan. 22, and whether Smollett played a role in sending the letter, two federal officials confirmed to ABC News. The letter is currently in the FBI crime lab for analysis, according to one of those sources.

    The accusation, made by the brothers who were persons of interest, has not been confirmed.

    Last week, Smollett sat down with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts and spoke about the letter.

    "Just because on the letter, it had a stick figure hanging from a tree with a gun pointing towards it with the words that said, 'Smollett, Jussie, you will die, black (expletive),'" Smollett said. "There was no address, but the return address said in big, red, you know, like caps, 'MAGA.' Did I make that up too?"
    After the police department investigated Smollett's attack for weeks as a possible hate crime, they discovered that one of the brothers bought the rope to be used in the attack at a local hardware store. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the store was the Crafty Beaver hardware store in Ravenswood.

    RELATED: Brothers tell police that Jussie Smollett paid them to stage attack, sources say

    Late Saturday, Smollett's attorneys Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson released a statement, addressing reports that the actor may have staged the attack.

    "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.

    "One of these purported suspects was Jussie's personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie's complicity.

    "Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate. At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to "unnamed" sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels."


    A CPD spokesman said Sunday, "While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what's been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident."

    ABC7 Eyewitness News also learned Tuesday that Smollett pleaded no contest to DUI, driving without a license and providing false information to law enforcement in Los Angeles in 2007. He was sentenced to two years of probation and either spent three days in jail or paid a fine of $100 for the three misdemeanor charges, according to the LA city attorney's office, though it's unclear which option he chose.

    If convicted of filing false police report, which is a felony in Illinois, Smollett could face up to three years in prison.

    Also Tuesday, a group of mothers who lost their sons to violence and whose cases remain unsolved gathered to speak out about the amount of resources dedicated to the Smollett case rather than their sons' unsolved cases.

    "I'm just calling on Chicago police today to listen to our words and listen to what we are talking about today," said Sheila Rush, whose son was murdered. "Like I said, it's been nine years and I want justice."

  8. #58
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    https://www.seattletimes.com/enterta...r-in-elevator/

    https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...219-story.html

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...on/2903410002/

    This only gets crazier from here now the FBI is investigating Smollett over the lead up to the staged attack.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by KambingSociety View Post
    https://www.seattletimes.com/enterta...r-in-elevator/

    https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...219-story.html

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/...on/2903410002/

    This only gets crazier from here now the FBI is investigating Smollett over the lead up to the staged attack.
    Can we get updates from Memphis news, Orlando news & Oakland news?

  10. #60
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    Quote Originally Posted by S281Saleen160 View Post
    Can we get updates from Memphis news, Orlando news & Oakland news?
    https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/jus...ck-1203144374/

    Not For now

    Chicago police have named “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett as a suspect in a criminal investigation, three weeks after he reported he was the victim of a hate crime.

    Detectives are presenting evidence to a grand jury, which is expected to determine whether to indict Smollett on a charge of filing a false police report.

    “Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony),” spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on Twitter. “Detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury.”

    If convicted, Smollett could face one to three years in prison. Federal authorities are also investigating a purported threat letter that was sent to Smollett at the “Empire” studio prior to the alleged attack.


    Chicago detectives have been seeking to interview Smollett since Saturday, when the department revealed that new evidence had changed the “trajectory” of the case.

    Smollett has not spoken with police since officers released Ola and Abel Osundairo, the brothers who were in the vicinity of the attack in the early hours of Jan. 29. Local media have reported that the brothers told detectives that Smollett paid them to stage the attack.

    Smollett angrily denied that on Saturday, in a statement attributed to his attorneys, Victor Henderson and Todd Pugh.

    “He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack,” the attorneys said. “Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

    Fox has continued to support the “Empire” star, issuing a statement on Wednesday morning calling him a “consummate professional on set.” Fox declined to comment again following the latest development.

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    https://abc7chicago.com/jussie-smoll...s-say/5147410/

    Here is another one an indictment

    Smollett is due in court in Chicago at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said CPD detectives will make contact with Smollett's legal team to "negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest."

    Smollett is not in custody at this time. Guglielmi told ABC News police are not actively looking for the actor because "this is not a violent crime," but said "the longer this goes, the more we have to do what we have to do."

    Guglielmi told ABC News police do not know where Smollett is, and "his attorneys have not shared where he is at this point."

    "I know this can be difficult emotionally, and we hope he doesn't do anything terrible. We want to make this as diplomatic as possible. In the end, this is only a class 4 felony. He will get through this and we want to make it as easy as possible for him to do it. But again, it is about accountability," Guglielmi told ABC News.

    Twentieth Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said they have no comment at this time.

    Guglielmi said CPD detectives presented evidence before a Cook County grand jury Wednesday.

    Smollett's attorneys, Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson, released a statement, saying, "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."

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    https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02...staged-attack/

    CHICAGO (CBS) — Accusing him of slapping the city in the face, Chicago police announced Thursday that “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett had been charged with concocting an attack in Streeterville, because “he was dissatisfied with his salary.”

    “Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said at a news conference Thursday morning. “This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn, and certainly didn’t deserve.”

    Smollett turned himself in to Chicago police early Thursday morning, hours after he was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself last month in Streeterville. Smollett turned himself in at the Central District police station at 18th and State streets around 5 a.m., police said. He made no statement to police.

    The actor’s future on “Empire” is unclear now that he’s facing felony charges.

    “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options,” Fox officials said in a statement.

    Smollett, who is black and openly gay, had told police he was attacked as he was walking home around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29. He claimed two masked men – one of them also wearing a red hat – shouted racist and homophobic slurs as they beat him, put a noose around his neck, and poured a chemical on them.

    Police said, in reality, Smollett had paid those two men, Ola and Abel Osundairo, $3,500 by check to stage the attack. CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar has reported Smollett also directed the brothers to buy the noose at a hardware store and the hat and masks at a store in Uptown. Johnson said police have the check.

    “I’m left hanging my head and asking why. Why would anyone, especially an African American man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? How could someone look at the hatred and suffering associated with that symbol and see an opportunity to manipulate that symbol to further his own public profile?” Johnson said. “How can an individual who’s been embraced by the city of Chicago turn around and slap everyone in this city in the face by making these false claims?”

    Police said the two brothers wore gloves during the staged attack, and did punch Smollett, but the scratches and bruises on Smollett’s face most likely were self-inflicted.

    Johnson said bogus police reports cause real harm, and he fears for future victims of real hate crimes.

    “My concern is that hate crimes will now publicly be met with a level of skepticism that previously didn’t happen,” he said.

    Smollett was scheduled to appear for a bond hearing at 1:30 p.m. on a felony charge of disorderly conduct.

    Disorderly conduct is a Class 4 Felony. CBS 2 Legal Analyst Irv Miller says Smollett could face probation to up to 1.5 years in prison.

    Smollett’s attorneys released the following statement after he was charged Wednesday night:

    “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.”

    Ola and Abel Osundairo, were arrested last week, but later released without charges. They left for Nigeria hours after the attack, and were arrested days later when they returned to Chicago.

    On Wednesday, they testified to a grand jury. Smollett was later charged with disorderly conduct.

    RELATED: Complete Coverage Of The Smollett Story

    The two brothers allegedly told police Smollett also was behind creating a racist letter sent to the show, according to two sources with first-hand knowledge of the investigation.

    When that letter did not get a “bigger reaction,” Smollett orchestrated the attack a week later with the two men, sources said.

    CBS 2 was first to obtain video of the brothers buying a red hat and ski masks from a store the day before the assault. The video shows Ola and Abel Osundairo placing the masks and a hat on the counter.

    The brothers’ attorney Gloria Schmidt spoke to the media after the brothers testified in front of the grand jury for 2.5 hours.

    “I think the biggest thing for the American people to know is that this story has a lot of complications to it,” Schmidt said.

    Schmidt says the brothers are not expecting to be charged with any crime “because they are not guilty of anything.”

    “I think Jussie’s conscience is not letting him sleep tonight,” Schmidt said. “So he should unload that conscience and just come out to the American people what actually happened.”

    RELATED: Timeline Of Events In Jussie Smollett Case

    Smollett has lawyered up—way up—hiring Los Angeles-based attorney Mark Geragos.

    CBS 2’s Brad Edwards confirms Geragos will serve on Smollett’s defense team, which will still be led by Chicago-based attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson.

    Geragos’ client list includes pop star Michael Jackson, actor Winona Ryder, and singers Chris Brown and Sean “Diddy” Combs.

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    As a Narcissist, this would cause some major damage to his large and fragile ego. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to all this negativity. He just put out a statement claiming he is innocent and has been betrayed in the face of text message proof. It's been reported Smollett bought "designer drugs" from one of the men he paid for the attack.
    Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups

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    https://tvline.com/2019/02/22/jussie...amal-season-5/

    Smollett has been removed from Empire due to the fake police report investigation



    Empire is no longer standing by its man. The Fox drama has suspended Jussie Smollett in the wake of the actor’s arrest for allegedly staging last month’s hate-crime attack against himself. Smollett’s sorta-dismissal comes as the Fox drama was winding down production on Season 5; there’s no word how his character Jamal’s absence in this season’s final two episodes will be explained.

    In a statement, Empire EPs Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer said, “The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us. Jussie has been an important member of our Empire family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of Jamal from the final two episodes of the season.”


    Smollett, who has played Jamal on the Fox drama since its debut, was arrested early Thursday in Chicago and faces a felony criminal charge of disorderly conduct/filing a false police report in connection with his alleged attack. At the time, 20th and Fox maintained, “We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process. We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”

    In late January, Smollett reported to Chicago police that he was the victim of an early morning attack in which two men taunted the actor/singer with racist and homophobic slurs, then beat him, poured a liquid on him and placed a noose around his neck. Per Smollett, the men also referenced “MAGA,” or President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again”slogan, during the incident. The actor elaborated on the attack in a February Good Morning America interview, telling Robin Roberts that he’d been “forever changed” by what happened to him.

    When later developments seemed to contradict Smollett’s account, his lawyers insisted that he played no role in the attack, and the show’s producers denied that his part on the series would be reduced as a reaction to the controversy. “Jussie Smollett continues to be a consummate professional on set, and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show,” the production company said in a statement at the time.

    In a press conference Thursday, Chicago police alleged that Smollett hired two men to fake the attack because he was dissatisfied with his Empire salary. Shortly thereafter, the actor’s legal team released a statement saying,“Today we witnessed an organized law enforcement spectacle that has no place in the American legal system. The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election. Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence and feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing.”

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angiebla View Post



    More entertaining


    The Chicago PD claims Jussie Smollett paid Ola and Abel Osundairo $3,500 to fake an attack, but sources connected to the case tell TMZ that's just not the case.

    Our sources say the brothers made a deal with Jussie to train him for 5 weeks so he could get in shape for an upcoming music video. Jussie had said to Ola that he wanted abs like his. Both Abel and Ola agreed to train Jussie, and also give him a 5-week nutrition plan.

    Our sources say Jussie told the brothers he would pay them for their services, but no specific amount was discussed.

    A few days before the "attack," Jussie wrote the brothers a check for $3,500. The memo line read, "5 weeks training nutrition plan."

    Our sources say Ola and Abel told the grand jury they were paid for the 5-week program and not for the "attack." One source connected with the brothers did say Ola and Abel felt the amount was "a little high" but no one ever specifically said anything about any of the money being part of a scheme.

    We've learned the brothers also told the grand jury that they had nothing to do with the threatening letter mailed to Jussie Smollett 8 days before the "attack."

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    https://pagesix.com/2019/03/26/all-c...414.1553618201

    An Update

    Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against ?Empire? actor Jussie Smollett during a surprise court hearing.

    The 36-year-old ? who was accused of staging a street attack on himself in a bid to secure a pay raise ? reached a deferred prosecution deal that will wipe out the charges, though he will forfeit the $10,000 he posted for bond.

    ?Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him,? his attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a statement.

    ?Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment,? the said.

    ?Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result.

    ?Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career.?

    The Cook County State?s Attorney?s Office said in statement: ?After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollet?s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case.?

    In a blistering statement, Smollett?s family reiterated his innocence and slammed his skeptics.

    ?Our son and brother is an innocent man whose name and character has been unjustly smeared,? the family said. ?Jussie is a son, a brother, a partner, a champion for human rights, and a genuine soul who would never be capable of what he was falsely accused of. He was the victim of an assault and then falsely blamed for his own attack. This morning truth has prevailed and he has been vindicated. All charges have been dismissed and his record expunged (cleared).

    ?The painful incidents we?ve witnessed him endure over the past 7 weeks have been heartbreaking and unjust to say the least. While many were quick to rush to judgement before hearing the actual truth, we are grateful that the truth about Jussie has come to light. We look forward to bringing the real perpetrators to justice. We thank God and our village for standing by us during this trying time.?

    On March 14, he pleaded not guilty to 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct accusing him of lying to police when he told them two men unleashed a racist and homophobic attack on him in Chicago.

    Prosecutors alleged that Smollett ? who is black and gay and plays the gay character Jamal Lyon on the hit Fox TV show ? hired two pals to help stage the attack on him early on the morning of Jan. 29.

    He initially was charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct after claiming he was attacked by masked supporters of President Trump who beat him, wrapped a noose around his neck and poured a liquid chemical on him while hurling racist and homophobic slurs.

    Police said Smollett was ?dissatisfied with his salary? and wanted to whip up publicity to help his career.

    After the alleged attack, Smollett received an outpouring of support on social media, including from celebrities and Democratic presidential candidates.

    The disgraced performer ultimately was suspended from the show and has been written out of the final two episodes of its ongoing fifth season.

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    https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/ju...re-1203181373/

    The city of Chicago is preparing to sue “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett for $130,000 to recoup the costs of its hate crime investigation.

    Last week, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office dropped 16 counts against Smollett, who had been accused of faking a hate crime against himself. The decision caused an uproar in Chicago, with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other officials blasting the prosecutor’s office.

    Two days later, the city’s Department of Law sent Smollett a bill in the amount of $130,106.15, and gave him one week to pay up. That deadline expired Thursday afternoon, and the Law Department issued a statement saying it was drafting a lawsuit.

    “Mr. Smollett has refused to reimburse the City of Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on Jan. 29, 2019,” the city said. “The Law Department is now drafting a civil complaint that will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County… The Law Department will file the suit in the near future. As part of this legal action, the Law Department will pursue the full measure of damages allowed under the ordinance.”

    Smollett has maintained his innocence. On Jan. 29, he told police that he was jumped while walking on the street at 2 a.m. He alleged that two men beat him, poured bleach on him, and used racial and homophobic slurs. Police later concluded that Smollett had hired his personal trainer, Abel Osundairo, and the trainer’s brother Ola to attack him. Police alleged he was seeking a higher salary on the show.

    The prosecutor’s office presented the case to a grand jury, which indicted Smollett on 16 charges of filing a false police report. The State’s Attorney’s Office has said that it stands by the police investigation, but that Smollett’s case was not serious enough to warrant jail time.

    “I was elected on a promise to rethink the justice system, to keep people out of prison who do not pose a danger to the community,” State’s Attorney Kim Foxx wrote in an opinion piece for the Chicago Tribune. “I promised to spend my office’s finite resources on the most serious crimes in order to create communities that are both safer and fairer.”

    Kevin Graham, president of the Chicago chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, held a press conference Thursday to call on Foxx to resign.

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    https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...413-story.html


    One of the people named in the Jussie Smollett Scandal wins a Boxing match



    One of the brothers connected to the alleged staged hate crime involving “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett won the city’s preeminent amateur boxing tournament Friday night in the near western suburbs.

    Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo won by technical knockout in the first round in the annual Chicago Golden Gloves boxing competition held at Cicero Stadium.

    Osundairo won the senior novice division at the 178-pound limit. The tournament is subdivided by fighter weights, ages and experience levels — Osundairo fought in the division for fighters age 21 to 35 with less fight experience.

    He defeated his semifinal opponent by unanimous decision in March.

    Prosecutors had said Smollett paid $3,500 to Osundairo and his older brother, Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, to help him fake a racist and homophobic attack on himself.

    Smollett was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making false reports to police, but those charges were dropped unexpectedly in late March by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

    Now, the Chicago Police Department is suing Smollett in civil court for wasting police resources on the alleged hoax, and Foxx has asked the inspector general to review her office’s handling of Smollett’s case.

    Chicago Tribune’s Charles J. Johnson contributed

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    http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/us-...o-traffic-stop

    CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) - An actor on Fox’s “Empire” was arrested last week for allegedly driving a Rolls-Royce without insurance or valid license plates.

    Bryshere Gray, 25, was pulled over at 10:37 a.m. June 13 in the 3000 block of West Wabansia Avenue for a “registration issue,” according to Chicago police.

    The temporary license plates were registered to a different vehicle and were past their expiration date, according to police. During the stop, he also told officers he didn’t have insurance on the car and didn’t have his driver’s license with him.

    CONTINUE READING BELOW
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    Gray was taken into custody and charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of a title or registration not authorized on a vehicle, police said. He was also issued tickets for driving an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to carry a driver’s license.

    He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court July 18.

    Gray was one of several “Empire” actors who signed a letter urging producers to bring Jussie Smollett back to the show in its final season. Smollett was written off the show after allegations that he faked an attack on himself in January.

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    https://abc7.com/video-of-jussie-smo...olice/5361979/

    CHICAGO -- Chicago police released their investigative files and video Monday of the alleged staged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in late January.

    Police released nearly 70 hours of video, all connected to the Smollett case.

    Police bodycam video shows officers arriving at Smollett's apartment in Streetervile. After going with his manager up to his apartment, they are greeted by the star with a rope coiled several times around his neck, claiming that two attackers wearing Make America Great Again hats doused him with bleach and put the noose over his head.

    Police blurred Smollett's face in the video that the I-Team obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request because at the time he was considered a victim.

    "He doesn't want this to be a big deal, you understand what I'm saying," Smollett's manager tells officers on the video. "The thing that makes me emotional is they put this makeshift loop, what do you call that thing, a noose around his (expletive) neck. I'm sorry, you know. And that is what bothers me, the cut thing doesn't bother me at all. If that makes any sense."

    Inside the apartment, the video shows Smollett with the rope strung around his neck, which he tells police was put there by his attackers.

    Police ask him if he wants to remove the supposed noose, which he does, and then when informed that a police body camera is recording the whole thing, the actor asks that the camera be turned off.

    "You're filming this right?" Smollett's manager asks.

    "Yes, this is all data," an officer responds. "It's his house."

    "They are filming," Smollett's manager tells the actor. "Can we turn it off?"

    "Yeah," the officer replies. "You are giving us permission to shut it off?"

    Smollett claimed he was the victim of a vicious hate crime in Streeterville in the late hours of January 29. He said two men physically attacked him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs, threw a chemical liquid on him and looped a rope around his neck.

    But the investigation turned on the actor as it continued. Chicago police said he orchestrated the attack with the help of the Osundairo brothers, who he knew. One brother was an extra on "Empire" and the other was Smollett's personal trainer.

    Police said Ola and Abel OSundairo took a cab to the pre-arranged attack site. In video from the car, the brothers are disguised in hazmat suits that one tightens around his face. They climb out of the taxi and surveillance video shows them walking down the street to carry out the allegedly staged attack.

    Two days after the alleged attack, Chicago police released surveillance images of two people they said they considered persons of interest in the attack, which was taken from that video.

    Police said Smollett staged the attack at a corner where he believed a surveillance camera would capture the attack, and that the facial injuries he sustained were likely self-inflicted.

    Police also released bodycam video of the Osundairo brothers being detained by police at O'Hare International Airport after returning from Nigeria.

    But the key scene from the police video is Smollett sporting the rope during his first encounter with officers, while his manager tells police the actor doesn't want this to become a big deal.

    Police initially charged Smollett with one count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. A grand jury then returned an indictment for 16 counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

    All charges against Smollett were dropped in late February in exchange for community service and forfeiture of his $10,000 bond payment. That decision is already under a separate review by the county's inspector general.

    A special prosecutor will soon be appointed to look into why Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx dropped the case and whether Smollett should be re-charged.

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    https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/06...lleged-attack/

    Editor’s Note/Correction:

    In the days after Jussie Smollett said he was the victim of a racially motivated attack, there was a spike in interest in his story.

    ADVERTISING

    Earlier this week, the Chicago Police Department released thousands of investigative files related to the case. Among the documents is an extensive online search history with a hand written note on top of several pages.

    The notation was made by a member of the Chicago Police Department and reads “Smollett Search.”

    The search history reveals “Jussie Smollett” was searched more than 50 times in the days following the reported attack. CBS 2 initially reported that Smollett searched himself. However, after questions were raised by Smollett’s attorney, we have verified that the search results are from one of the Osundairo brothers.

    On January 29 Chicago police opened a hate crime investigation after Smollett said he was attacked near his Chicago apartment. According to police, Smollett said two men approached him around 2 a.m., shouted “racial and homophobic slurs,” poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him and wrapped a noose around his neck.

    Police later said that Smollett staged the attack with two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, and charged him with filing a false police report. Those charges were later dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.

    On Monday, video for the first time showed Smollett with a noose around his neck as police entered Smollett’s downtown apartment. He is seen in a red and white sweater with the rope around his neck. He told investigators he kept the rope there to show them evidence of a racially motivated attack.


    As the officers arrive, Smollett removes the rope and says, “There’s bleach on me.” A few seconds later he asks police to turn off the body cam.

    Chicago police also obtained text messages between the brothers and Smollett, including one that apparently ignited the plan.

    “Might need your help on the low,” Smollett texted. “You around to meet up and talk face to face?”

    After the attack, Abel Osundairo texted Smollett, expressing sympathy as news began to spread

    “Bruh say it ain’t true. I’m praying for a speedy recovery. Sh** is wild.”

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    I hope he doesn't beat himself up too much over this.

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    Quote Originally Posted by raisedbywolves View Post
    Jury reaches verdict in Jussie Smollett trial



    Jussie Smollett found guilty of falsely reporting a hate crime



    ETA: OMG I didn't realize how obsessed Kambing was with this case.
    Another case where Im pleasantly surprised.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Chelsea, if you are a ghost and reading mds, I command you to walk into the light.

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    Gooble goble gooble goble one of us one of us. t(-_-)t

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