Nigerians held in actor’s attack set free

CHICAGO — Chicago police late Friday released without charges two Nigerian brothers arrested on suspicion of assaulting Empire actor Jussie Smollett and said they have new evidence to investigate as a result of questioning them.

“The individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charges, and detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a brief statement. He gave no details of the new evidence.

Smollett, who is black and gay, has said two masked men shouting racial and anti-gay slurs and “This is MAGA country!” beat him and looped a rope around his neck early on Jan. 29 before running away. He said they also poured some kind of chemical on him.

Smollett, 36, said he was out getting food at a Subway sandwich shop in downtown Chicago when the attack happened.

The two men detained, identified only as Nigerian brothers, were picked up at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on Wednesday on their return from Nigeria after police learned at least one worked on Empire, Guglielmi said earlier.

Guglielmi earlier also said police searched the Chicago apartment where the men lived. But he said he had no information on what was found.

Police earlier this week said there was “no evidence to say that this is a hoax” and that Smollett “continues to be treated by police as a victim, not a suspect.”

Police have said they found no surveillance video of an attack but continue to look.