Chicago PD: Smollett case has ‘shifted’
CHICAGO — Chicago police said Saturday the investigation into the attack reported by Jussie Smollett has “shifted” due to information received from two brothers arrested in the case then released, and police want to interview the “Empire” actor again.
Chicago police had released the two Nigerian brothers without charges late Friday and said they were no longer suspects in the reported attack.
“We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in an emailed statement Saturday.
“We’ve reached out to the Empire cast member’s attorney to request a followup interview.”
Guglielmi did not elaborate on what he meant by a shift in the case.
Smollett, who is black and gay, has said he was attacked early Jan. 29 in Chicago by two masked men shouting racial and anti-gay slurs and “This is MAGA country!”
He said they looped a rope around his neck before running away as he was out getting food at a Subway restaurant. He said they also poured some kind of chemical on him.
Police have said they were investigating the attack as a possible hate crime and considered Smollett a victim. Reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California and TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
Smollett said he was cooperating with police and gave an emotional speech during a concert in West Hollywood, California, on Feb. 2 saying that he went ahead with the show because he couldn’t let his attackers win.
Smollett also gave an interview to Robin Roberts of ABC News that aired Thursday, saying that he was “pissed” at people who did not believe he was attacked.
“I’ve heard that it was a date gone bad, which I also resent that narrative,” he said. “I’m not gonna go out and get a tuna sandwich and a salad to meet somebody. That’s ridiculous. And it’s offensive.”
Earlier this week, police said media reports that the attack was a hoax were unconfirmed.
Producers of the Fox television drama supported Smollett, saying his character on “Empire,” James Lyon, was not being written off the show.
Police said they combed surveillance video in the heavily-monitored downtown Chicago area but were unable to find any footage of the attack.