UPDATES:
Update (3/26/2019): All charges have been dropped against Jussie Smollett! No word on what transpired. Court records have been sealed according to his attorney.
Update (2/21/2019): Jussie Smollett has turned himself in to Chicago police this morning. He is now facing a felony charge of disorderly conduct after allegedly filing a false report.
According to Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson, the “Empire” actor staged the attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary.
Update (2/17/2019): According to CNN, “Chicago Police believe Jussie Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the assault.”
When I First Heard…
When I first heard about “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s attack in Chicago, I was shocked – at the details.
According to reports, Smollett claimed around 2 a.m. on January 29th he had a rope placed around his neck, a chemical (possibly bleach) poured on him, and was taunted with racial and homophobic slurs while two unknown, masked assailants beat him.
Smollett even says the perpetrators yelled, “This is MAGA country!”, which suggested they were Trump supporters.
Bizarre Account
Currently, Smollett is being treated as a victim by the Chicago police. So far, there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. However, there have been whispers swirling of this all being a hoax since Smollett may be getting the ax on his hit show, but the rumors are unsubstantiated.
Now, I am a reasonable person. Immediately, bits of his story sounded odd to me. I dismissed the idea of Trump supporters attacking him. Not only is Chicago very liberal, but I doubt there are many MAGA fans who watch “Empire”. This rumored accusation just seemed like a convenient add-on to an already bizarre account.
I also questioned why there weren’t any video recordings of the attack. Chicago is colloquially referred to as Chi-raq (Chicago + Iraq) due to the violent nature of the city. Surveillance cameras are everywhere. Not one camera captured video.
I also found it strange that two people are just strolling around Chicago at 2 a.m. in frigid weather carrying bleach and a rope to wrap around someone’s neck. Is it possible? Yes, but not likely.
You can’t blame people from questioning the details.
Nigerian Brothers Arrested
Two brothers of Nigerian descent were arrested and questioned on suspicion of battery this week. Allegedly one of the brothers had worked on the show “Empire” as an extra.
People who know the brothers have stated the beating is uncharacteristic of them. They were said to be horrified upon hearing about the crime as they know Smollett.
The brothers have since been released and are not considered suspects due to “new evidence” according to the Chicago police.
So Who Attacked Jussie Smollett?
A week before the attack, threatening letters with a suspicious white powder were reportedly sent to Fox and “Empire” offices and directed to Smollett. So, something is amiss.
If the story is true, then it is possible the actor could have an obsessed fan or stalker. Let us know how you feel about this bizarre attack of Jussie Smollett in the comments. Do you have any theories?
Stay tuned. We will update this post when more details are revealed.
Check out the below video to hear Jussie Smollett’s describe the attack to ABC News:
Video credit: ABC News | YouTube
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