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All Charges Dropped Against ‘Empire’ Actor Jussie Smollett All Charges Dropped Against ‘Empire’ Actor Jussie Smollett
(32 minutes later)
In a stunning move on Tuesday morning, Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges against the “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who had been accused of staging an attack in downtown Chicago earlier this year. In a stunning move on Tuesday morning, prosecutors in Chicago dropped all charges against the “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who had been accused of staging a hate crime attack in the city’s downtown in January.
“We believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” a prosecutor said in court in announcing the dismissal of all 16 counts against Mr. Smollett, The Chicago Tribune reported. “After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the city of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
It did not elaborate on whether any new information had surfaced that weakened the case against Mr. Smollett or whether prosecutors had simply changed their mind about pursuing the case. Mr. Smollett’s bond payment was $10,000.
In a statement, Anne Kavanagh, a spokeswoman for Mr. Smollett’s lawyers, said: “Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on Jan. 29. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment.”In a statement, Anne Kavanagh, a spokeswoman for Mr. Smollett’s lawyers, said: “Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on Jan. 29. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment.”
The statement went on: “Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career.”The statement went on: “Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career.”
Mr. Smollett had told police that the attack had been carried out by supporters of President Trump who taunted him with homophobic and racial slurs in the early morning. The assailants, according to Mr. Smollett, tied a rope around his neck and poured a chemical substance on him.
But skepticism surrounding the attack occurred right from the start, even as several A-list celebrities and advocacy groups expressed their support for Mr. Smollett, painting the attack as another example of the increasing number of hate crimes in the era of Mr. Trump’s presidency. But the police, in their investigation, had trouble finding surveillance video of the attack or witnesses.
[Read more about Jussie Smollett here.][Read more about Jussie Smollett here.]
The investigation eventually focused on two brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, who knew Mr. Smollett. They initially said they were unaware why they were considered persons of interest in the investigation, but, according to the police, they later told investigators that Mr. Smollett had paid them to stage the attack on him as a way to gain publicity because he was unhappy with his “Empire” salary. Mr. Smollett denied the brothers’ accounts. Mr. Smollett had told the police that the attack happened in the early morning by two men who taunted him with homophobic and racial slurs and yelled “This is MAGA country,” a reference to President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. The assailants, according to Mr. Smollett, tied a rope around his neck and poured a chemical substance on him. He was briefly treated at a hospital that day.
Mr. Smollett, who had been indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct, was removed from the rest of the current season of “Empire.” It is unclear what Fox, the network which airs “Empire,” will do now; it did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Skepticism surrounding the attack occurred from the start, even as several A-list celebrities and advocacy groups expressed their support for Mr. Smollett, painting the attack as another example of a nationwide rise in hate crimes. But the police, in their investigation, had trouble finding surveillance video of the attack or witnesses.
[A timeline of the Smollett case.] The investigation eventually focused on two brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, who knew Mr. Smollett. They initially said they were unaware why they were considered persons of interest in the investigation, but according to the police, they later told investigators that Mr. Smollett had paid them to stage the attack on him as a way to gain publicity because he was unhappy with his “Empire” salary. Mr. Smollett denied the brothers’ accounts.
It is also unclear why Cook County prosecutors dropped the charges. A spokeswoman for the State’s Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department referred questions to the State’s Attorney. Mr. Smollett, who had been indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct related to the filing of a false report, was removed from the rest of the current season of “Empire.” It is unclear what Fox, the network that airs “Empire,” will do now; it did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article will be updated. A spokesman for the Chicago Police Department referred questions to the State’s Attorney’s Office.
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