‘Shameful’
SHERIFF SLAMS SMOLLETT IN BOGUS RACIST ATTACK
“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett paid two brothers to stage an attack on him last month because he was “dissatisfied with his salary,” Chicago Police Department superintendent Eddie Johnson said Thursday, shortly after Smollett was arrested for allegedly filing a false police report.
Less than two hours after appearing before a judge, the star was released on $100,000 bond.
Slamming Smollett’s actions as “shameful,” Johnson told reporters at a press conference that Smollett orchestrated the confrontation by paying $3,500 to the men to attack him early Jan. 29.
Johnson characterized the situation as a “publicity stunt” by Smollett to advance his career, and condemned the actor for making Chicago Police dedicate resources to his case that could’ve been used for other matters.
“Smollett attempted to gain attention by sending a false letter that relied on racial, homophobic and political language,” he said. “When that didn’t work, Smollett paid $3,500 to stage this attack.”
Smollett has been earning $65,000 per episode of “Empire,” according to HuffPost, which cited a source.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed earlier Thursday that Smollett was in custody, and a mug shot was released shortly thereafter.
Guglielmi had said Wednesday detectives would make contact with Smollett’s legal team to “negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest.” He was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct.
If convicted, Smollett, 36, could receive a sentence ranging from probation to more than one year in prison.
Smollett has claimed to police that two men jumped him around 2 a.m on Jan. 29 as he walked to his Chicago apartment from a Subway restaurant. Smollett, who is gay, said they beat him, placed a rope around his neck, doused him with bleach and hurled homophobic and racist slurs at him.
In an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Smollett claimed one of the men said “MAGA country,” a reference to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan, before punching him in the face.
Johnson said Thursday that scratches and bruises on Smollett’s face were likely self-inflicted. Police have not seen video of the attack, but Johnson says he believes Smollett likely wanted it to be captured on camera.
“The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a mayoral election,” Smollett’s lawyers said after his arrest. “Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence and feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing.”
Police initially said the case was being probed as a possible hate crime.
Video also surfaced showing the brothers linked to the assault, Olabingo and Abimbola Osundairo, buying ski masks and a red hat.
Police took the brothers into custody for questioning last week and released them without charges.
Smollett was indicted Wednesday night.
A day after it said Smollett wasn’t being written off of “Empire,” Fox said in a statement Thursday it was “evaluating the situation” and “considering our options.”