Empire actor arrested for staging racist attack to ‘promote career’
● Jussie Smollett alleged masked men tied noose around his neck
US actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist, anti-gay attack on himself because he was unhappy about his salary and wanted to promote his career, Chicago’s police superintendent has said.
Before the attack, Smollett also sent a letter that threatened him to the studio in Chicago where his TV series, Empire is shot, Superintendent Eddie Johnson said.
Smollett turned himself in yesterday to face accusations that he filed a false police report last month when he told authorities he was attacked in downtown Chicago on 29 January by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs at him and looped a rope around his neck.
The actor “took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career”, Mr Johnson said.
“This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn and certainly didn’t deserve.”
Prosecutors said Smollett gave detailed instructions to two brothers who helped him stage the attack, including giving them specific slurs to yell and telling them to shout “MAGA country” (referring to president Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan) and to drape a rope around his neck.
Smollett even allegedly pointed out to the men a specific surveillance camera he thought would capture footage of the beating. Police said the camera was pointed another way.
At Smollett’s first court appearance, a judge set bond at $100,000 (about £76,702). Smollett’s attorneys asked for
him to be released on his own recognisance, but the judge said that was inappropriate. He added that he was particularly bothered by the allegations involving the noose around Smollett’s neck.
Smollett said little during the hearing, except to state his name. He was joined in the courtroom by family members.
The FBI has been investigating the letter. Mr Johnson would not say whether Smollett could face additional charges over the document.
The companies that make Empire, Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television, issued a statement saying they were “evaluating the situation” and “considering our options”.
In less than a month, Smollett, 36, went from being a seemingly sympathetic victim of a hate crime to being accused of fabricating the entire incident. He was charged on Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct, a charge that could bring up to three years in prison and force the actor to pay for the cost of the investigation into his reported beating.
Police treated Smollett as a victim until the two brothers, who had been taken into custody for questioning, admitted to helping him stage the attack, Mr Johnson said.
The brothers also explained Smollett’s motive to detectives. Authorities have a cheque for $3,500 (£2,685) that Smollett paid the brothers, he said.
Smollett, who plays a gay character on the show that follows a black family as they navigate the recording industry, said he was attacked as he was walking home from a sandwich shop..