On Thursday morning, actor Jussie Smollett was arrested by the Chicago police and prompted a denunciation from President Trump. Hours after posting bail on a felony disorderly conduct charge, he was back at work on the set of “Empire,” according to a source involved with the Fox series.
Although Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television would not confirm if Smollett was back on set, they did say, “We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process. We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”
Smollett left the Cook County jail in Chicago on Thursday afternoon, about two hours after a hearing in which the judge set his bond at $100,000.
Following three weeks of growing suspicions, Smollett — who is accused of orchestrating an elaborate hoax via two “bogus” hate crimes all in order to secure a pay raise —, was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. He turned himself in at central booking early Thursday. If convicted, he’ll face up to three years in prison.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett orchestrated a “phony attack” in order to take “advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.”
These turn of events will more than likely prompt a series of decisions for Fox, including determining the fate of “Empire,” which, as of a month ago, was a fading out but still enough of a respectable hit for the network to continue the series.
By: Maytinee Kramer
