Suspects in alleged attack on 'Empire' actor released

By Gabriella Borter

 

FILE PHOTO: Jussie Smollett performs a tribute to President's Award recipient John Legend at the 47th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California February 5, 2016. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

 

(Reuters) - Suspects arrested in connection with an alleged racist and homophobic assault on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago were released on Friday, police said.

 

"Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete," the Chicago Police Department said in a email to Reuters.

 

The individuals are no longer being classified as suspects, the department said.

 

A spokesman for the department on Friday night declined to confirm to Reuters whether the individuals released were the two Nigerian brothers police said they arrested on Wednesday at Chicago O'Hare Airport in connection to the attack.

 

Authorities had previously said only that the pair, whose names have not been released, were persons of interest after they were recognized from surveillance camera footage taken in the area where Smollett said two men shouted slurs at him and put a rope around his neck on Jan. 29.

 

"Detectives have probable cause that they may have been involved in an alleged crime and we are working to corroborate the allegations and investigative timeline as our investigation continues," police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.

 

He has denied a media report on Thursday that said officers were investigating whether Smollett staged the attack because he was being written out of the television show.

 

"While we haven't found any video documenting the alleged attack, there is no evidence to say that this is a hoax. The alleged victim is being cooperative at this time and continues to be treated as a victim, not a suspect," Guglielmi said on Friday.

 

News of the alleged attack on Smollett, a 36-year-old openly gay African-American who plays a gay character on the hip-hop drama "Empire," caused uproar on social media, but some have doubted Smollett's account.

 

In an interview with "Good Morning America" that aired on Thursday, Smollett said he was angry that some people questioned his story, and he suggested the disbelief might come from racial bias.

 

The two men know Smollett from working on "Empire" and were picked up at the airport on Wednesday after returning from Nigeria where they were visiting family, their lawyer Gloria Schmidt told Chicago TV station CBS2.

 

Schmidt could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday.

 

Twentieth Century Fox Television, the producer of "Empire" released a statement on Thursday saying the idea that Smollett has been, or would be, written out of the show was "patently ridiculous," and that they continue to stand behind him.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-16

I knew this was fake as soon as it happened. "This is MAGA country", bit of a giveaway. Not sure how this is going to play out, most likely scenario he gets taken into custody and charged with faking a racially and sexually motivated hate crime and facing a 1-3 year sentence he offs himself. Keep him on suicide watch would be the message here.

 

 

 

 

picked this up on cnn, dont know who the guy is but what on earth was he thinking?!

58 minutes ago, samsensam said:

 

picked this up on cnn, dont know who the guy is but what on earth was he thinking?!

He faked it as an attack on Trump and Trump supporters. Clearly he had been watching way too much CNN and MSNBC. I didnt yet hear the retractions from all the news networks that used this hoax to bash Trump and conservatives.

I think CNN will be a little disappointed in the way this particular story is progressing now.....

16 minutes ago, 248900_1469958220 said:

I think CNN will be a little disappointed in the way this particular story is progressing now.....

 Yes they will be devastated. Along with the rest of the people that used this silly hoax as an excuse to hate on conservatives. Kamala Harris, Rev Al Sharpton and the rest, hang your heads in shame. This story is not going away. Luckily the 2 Nigerian brothers ( the black supposed white supremacists) are cooperating fully and have told where and when they bought the 2 red hats and rope. Oh dear, oh dear...

Enjoy the show...lots of great music and babe-age! He's a good actor, but if this is a fake...a really stupid dude. Hope it's not true or his Dad...Luscious Lyon...is gonna whoop his ass! 

 

Check this out...

 

On 2/17/2019 at 2:35 AM, TopDeadSenter said:

I knew this was fake as soon as it happened. "This is MAGA country", bit of a giveaway. Not sure how this is going to play out, most likely scenario he gets taken into custody and charged with faking a racially and sexually motivated hate crime and facing a 1-3 year sentence he offs himself. Keep him on suicide watch would be the message here.

 

 

 

 

Some people here in America are also thinking he may actually be charged with a hate crime himself not just faking one. If so he would get a substantially longer term and actually go to prison.

If he is only charged with false accusation he would get probation. 

 

Anyway he hasn't been accused or convicted so unlike the liberal media I will with hold my judgement.  

Here's a list of other fake 'hate crimes' that have been committed over the last few years. 

 

https://pluralist.com/hate-crimes-jussie-smolllett-andy-ngo-twitter/