From Victim to Suspect
How the ‘Empire’ star’s alleged hate- crime narrative further fuels the dangerous divisions in our times
A look at the stunning fall of Jussie Smollett and the lengths to which one will go in pursuit of fame.
By CYNTHIA LITTLETON
when jussie smollett’s bombshell story of being assaulted in a vicious hate crime first surfaced on Jan. 29, it encapsulated the worst aspects of an America riven by racial and ethnic tension, homophobia, intolerance, xenophobia and unchecked aggression toward perceived enemies.
Now that Chicago police say they have debunked the “Empire” actor’s key claims, and he is facing a felony charge of filing a false police report, the scandal remains an indictment of an increasingly polarized cultural moment. Smollett has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
The fast- developing story has fed directly into the divisions between right and left, white and black, urban and rural, gay and straight, and binary and nonbinary gender identifications that have spurred a level of paranoia frequently compared with that of the Mccarthy era. The deleterious effects of the 24/7 stream of agitprop and outrage that fuels social media only add to the toxic stew.
“This is a tragedy no matter what,” says Van Jones, CNN host and political commentator, who is founder of the Oakland-based nonprofit Dream Corps. “Either he’s telling the truth and not being believed or more likely he’s let down millions of fans and certainly hurt the cause of social justice for the true victims of hate crimes. Either way, we’re seeing a tragedy unfold.”
The Smollett case has grabbed the