Charges Against Jussie Smollett Dropped
The bizarre case of Jussie Smollett, the star of Empire who was arrested on charges of filing a false police report, just got even stranger. ABC News reports all charges against the actor have now been dropped. Smollett was previously looking at spending up to three years in prison.
Smollett’s lawyers said in a statement:
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 January 29th. 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 judgement.
The Cook Count State Attorney’s Office said in a statement:
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.
This stunning twist does not resolve much of anything that occurred last January, when Smollett was allegedly attacked in Chicago by men in ski masks shouting slurs at him. Smollett went to the hospital, but no one was charged with the crime. Two brothers were arrested and later released in conjunction with the case; they reportedly told police they were paid to carry out the attack. Shortly thereafter, Smollett himself was charged with making false statements.
So what is the truth here? We still don’t know what really happened last January. (TMZ claims the decision not to proceed with the case “is NOT sitting well with Chicago PD.”) The whole sordid drama probably won’t be reflected on Empire, but it would make a hell of a storyline on Law & Order: SVU.
Gallery — Shocking TV Twists Fans Actually Predicted: