US television actor allegedly fabricated hate crime

POLICE in Chicago are seeking a follow-up interview with Jussie Smollett, the actor, amid reports he may have faked a hate-crime assault.

Smollett, 36, a gay African-american actor who appears on TV drama

Empire, told police he was attacked on Jan 29 by two masked men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs.

According to Smollett, the men struck him in the face, draped a rope around his neck and doused him with an “unknown chemical substance”.

But the actor now appears to be under investigation himself, amid claims he staged the incident because he feared he was about to be written out of the popular television show.

Police detained two Nigerian brothers, identified as Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, last week, who were recognised from surveillance footage.

One of the brothers had appeared as an extra on Empire and the other was Smollett’s personal trainer.

Detectives released them without charges citing “new evidence”.

Last night a spokesman for Smollett said there were no plans for the actor to meet with Chicago detectives for a follow-up interview, but his lawyers “will keep an active dialogue with Chicago police on his behalf ”.

CBS 2 News, a local broadcaster, reported that sources connected to the investigation believe Smollett paid the two men $3,500 (£2,700) to stage the attack. The actor’s representatives have strongly refuted the claims, saying Smollett felt “victimised” by suggestions he played a role in the assault.