Smollett told police attackers knew he was on ‘Empire’

CHICAGO (AP) — “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett told police that two men seemed to know who he was before they beat him, shouted racial and homophobic slurs, and looped a rope around his neck during an early-morning attack in Chicago, according to a recently released police report.

Smollett told police that two men dressed in black got his attention by mentioning the name of the TV show as he walked downtown early on Jan. 29. Smollett said the more aggressive man wore a black mask to conceal his face.

Smollett, who is black and openly gay, said the men then shouted slurs, beat him in the face with their hands and poured an unknown substance on him that stained his clothes. He said the men tied a rope around his neck before running away, according to a brief police report released to the public following a Freedom of Information request by media outlets.

The report noted that the 36-year-old actor said he initially didn’t want to report the attack, but that another person convinced him to do so. The name of the person who encouraged Smollet to call police was redacted in the report, which notes that the person was with Smollet when officers arrived at his Chicago apartment.

When officers arrived at his apartment, Smollett still had a white rope draped around his neck. The report also noted that officers turned off their body cameras at Smollett’s request, something that crime victims sometimes ask officers to do, according to Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.