“Empire” star Jussie Smollett was taken into custody around 5 a.m. CT, police said, ahead of a 1:30 p.m. bail hearing. The actor faces a felony charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false report claiming two men attacked him in the early morning of Jan. 29 in Chicago.
Smollett alleged they yelled racist and homophobic slurs, tied a rope around his neck and poured an unknown substance on him. Initially, police said they were treating the attack against the black and gay actor as a hate crime, but as investigations continued, the narrative has unraveled with several twists, turning the actor from a victim to a suspect.
Police now believe Smollett paid two brothers to orchestrate an assault on him, and are looking into the incident as a possible hoax. The announcement came the same day the Cook County grand jury met to review evidence of the incident.
The two men questioned by police — identified as brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo — were initially arrested Feb. 13 but released without charges after police cited the discovery of “new evidence.” The two are no longer suspects at this time.
Although the actor has denied playing a role in his attack, according to his attorneys, Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted Wednesday that the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office had approved a felony criminal charge of disorderly conduct against Smollett.
By: Maytinee Kramer
