The tv show that he is on (Empire) is having their spring premier either tomorrow or next week. Curious to see if they will re-write any scripts if they find out that this was 110% a complete hoax.
Funny, b/c on the show, there are 3 brothers. During the fall finale, 1 of the brothers were actually (SPOILER ALERT) killed. Looks like the writers killed the wrong brother!!
Funny, b/c on the show, there are 3 brothers. During the fall finale, 1 of the brothers were actually (SPOILER ALERT) killed. Looks like the writers killed the wrong brother!!
As Chicago police continue to investigate the Jussie Smollett case, Fox — the Empirestar’s home network — is apparently making its own statement without uttering a word. According to multiple reports, the actor’s scenes are drastically being cut this week as production continues on the fifth season.
Deadline reports “upcoming episodes have seen serious rewrites in recent days to reduce the increasingly besieged Smollett’s role both in dramatic stints and musical performances.” There are apparently no plans right now to make changes to episodes already in the can. Empire returns on March 13.
Deadline reports “upcoming episodes have seen serious rewrites in recent days to reduce the increasingly besieged Smollett’s role both in dramatic stints and musical performances.” There are apparently no plans right now to make changes to episodes already in the can. Empire returns on March 13.
But wait! There’s more!
The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service are currently investigating whether Jussie Smollett played a role in sending a threatening letter addressed to him at "Empire’s" Chicago studio prior to the alleged attack, two federal officials confirm to ABC News.
The accusation, made by the two brothers who were persons of interest, has not been confirmed.
The letter, which was sent Jan. 22, is currently in the FBI crime lab for analysis, one of the sources said.
The latest in this ever-changing story comes hours after the two brothers claimed they helped Smollett concoct the alleged assault after he became upset that a letter threatening him, sent to the "Empire" show's studio, did not get enough attention, sources told ABC News on Monday.
The FBI and the US Postal Inspection Service are currently investigating whether Jussie Smollett played a role in sending a threatening letter addressed to him at "Empire’s" Chicago studio prior to the alleged attack, two federal officials confirm to ABC News.
The accusation, made by the two brothers who were persons of interest, has not been confirmed.
The letter, which was sent Jan. 22, is currently in the FBI crime lab for analysis, one of the sources said.
The latest in this ever-changing story comes hours after the two brothers claimed they helped Smollett concoct the alleged assault after he became upset that a letter threatening him, sent to the "Empire" show's studio, did not get enough attention, sources told ABC News on Monday.
Chicago police pushing for Jussie Smollett case to move toward a grand jury, sources say
CHICAGO - Police are working to get "Empire" star Jussie Smollett’s case in front of a grand jury, Chicago law enforcement sources tell Fox News.
Smollett reported that on Jan. 29 he was attacked by two masked men as he was walking home from a Subway restaurant. He claimed that the men shouted racist and anti-gay slurs at him, poured a chemical substance on him, threw a rope around his neck and shouted, "This is MAGA country!"
Two brothers -- Ola and Abel Osundairo -- were arrested and released without charges in relation to the incident and were set to have their testimony “locked in” before a grand jury, meaning it would be officially documented. But Smollett’s legal team presented information to prosecutors that delayed the brothers' testimony, the sources say.
"The two brothers involved in this incident were at a Chicago courthouse meeting with detectives and prosecutors. They did not get seated before a grand jury," the Chicago Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.
Chicago police have acknowledged to Fox News that presenting Smollett’s case to a grand jury or prosecutors is an option the department can pursue. They say they’re giving Smollett a “responsible” amount of time to respond to the department's request for a follow-up interview.
A Smollett rep told Fox News that Smollett did not talk to Chicago police on Monday or Tuesday.
Police earlier said that the "trajectory of the investigation" shifted and that they wanted to conduct another interview with Smollett about the alleged hate crime last month. Police released the two brothers who were held for questioning about the reported attack. They were released late Friday without charges.
“We are not racist. We are not homophobic, and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens,” the brothers later said in a statement to CBS News.
The men were arrested Wednesday night after investigators tracked their movement on surveillance cameras in the area where Smollett said the attack occurred.
Police have said they were investigating the attack as a possible hate crime and initially considered Smollett a victim. A Chicago police spokesperson on Saturday said Smollett is no longer considered a victim in the case.
Smollett's attorneys, Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, vehemently denied that the attack was a hoax, telling reporters, "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."
"One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer, who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity," the statement continued.
"Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate," Henderson and Pugh concluded. "At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to “unnamed” sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels."
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...tt-case-to-move-toward-grand-jury-sources-say
CHICAGO - Police are working to get "Empire" star Jussie Smollett’s case in front of a grand jury, Chicago law enforcement sources tell Fox News.
Smollett reported that on Jan. 29 he was attacked by two masked men as he was walking home from a Subway restaurant. He claimed that the men shouted racist and anti-gay slurs at him, poured a chemical substance on him, threw a rope around his neck and shouted, "This is MAGA country!"
Two brothers -- Ola and Abel Osundairo -- were arrested and released without charges in relation to the incident and were set to have their testimony “locked in” before a grand jury, meaning it would be officially documented. But Smollett’s legal team presented information to prosecutors that delayed the brothers' testimony, the sources say.
"The two brothers involved in this incident were at a Chicago courthouse meeting with detectives and prosecutors. They did not get seated before a grand jury," the Chicago Police Department said in a statement Tuesday.
Chicago police have acknowledged to Fox News that presenting Smollett’s case to a grand jury or prosecutors is an option the department can pursue. They say they’re giving Smollett a “responsible” amount of time to respond to the department's request for a follow-up interview.
A Smollett rep told Fox News that Smollett did not talk to Chicago police on Monday or Tuesday.
Police earlier said that the "trajectory of the investigation" shifted and that they wanted to conduct another interview with Smollett about the alleged hate crime last month. Police released the two brothers who were held for questioning about the reported attack. They were released late Friday without charges.
“We are not racist. We are not homophobic, and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens,” the brothers later said in a statement to CBS News.
The men were arrested Wednesday night after investigators tracked their movement on surveillance cameras in the area where Smollett said the attack occurred.
Police have said they were investigating the attack as a possible hate crime and initially considered Smollett a victim. A Chicago police spokesperson on Saturday said Smollett is no longer considered a victim in the case.
Smollett's attorneys, Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, vehemently denied that the attack was a hoax, telling reporters, "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."
"One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer, who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity," the statement continued.
"Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate," Henderson and Pugh concluded. "At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to “unnamed” sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels."
https://www.foxnews.com/entertainme...tt-case-to-move-toward-grand-jury-sources-say
Tweets that magically disappeared -
http://archive.is/aeTt9
"The vicious, racist and homophobic attack against @JussieSmollett is a reminder of the real violence Black LGBTQ ppl face everyday & the hate this administration continues to embolden," the activist group Color of Change tweeted. "Our support + love go out to #JussieSmollet [sic] as he continues to recover."
In a tweet, Sen. Kamala Harris said that Smollett is "one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know" and called the assault an "attempted modern day lynching."
"No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin," Harris wrote on Twitter. "We must confront this hate.
Ernest Owens
✔
@MrErnestOwens
Anyone trying to ignore the fact that Jussie Smollett is BOTH Black & gay need to sit down.
This was a racially-motivated homophobic attack.
They called him racial slurs AND homophobic ones.
He carries BOTH identities and white supremacists made it a point to target both.
http://archive.is/aeTt9
"The vicious, racist and homophobic attack against @JussieSmollett is a reminder of the real violence Black LGBTQ ppl face everyday & the hate this administration continues to embolden," the activist group Color of Change tweeted. "Our support + love go out to #JussieSmollet [sic] as he continues to recover."
In a tweet, Sen. Kamala Harris said that Smollett is "one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know" and called the assault an "attempted modern day lynching."
"No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin," Harris wrote on Twitter. "We must confront this hate.
Ernest Owens
✔
@MrErnestOwens
Anyone trying to ignore the fact that Jussie Smollett is BOTH Black & gay need to sit down.
This was a racially-motivated homophobic attack.
They called him racial slurs AND homophobic ones.
He carries BOTH identities and white supremacists made it a point to target both.
This famous director blocked me after I went after her on twitter. She was still defending Jussie and saying Chicago police are racist.
She's a bigoted, prejudiced slimebucket and it's an honor to be banned by such trash.
She's a bigoted, prejudiced slimebucket and it's an honor to be banned by such trash.
This famous director blocked me after I went after her on twitter. She was still defending Jussie and saying Chicago police are racist.
She's a bigoted, prejudiced slimebucket and it's an honor to be banned by such trash.
these people. Good grief. They should just go away. Guilty as charged and still playing that crap
