Tag Archives: hoaxes

UPDATE: Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150 days of jail and 30 months of probation. He will have to pay back the City of Chicago just over $120,000 in restitution and was also fined $25,000. Following the sentencing, he had an emotional outburst and screamed “I am not suicidal and I did not do it.” BREAKING: Jussie Smollett sentenced …

The Associated Press reports: The jury in Jussie Smollett’s trial reached a verdict Thursday afternoon on charges that the former “Empire” actor orchestrated a fake attack on himself, then lied to Chicago police about it, courthouse staff said. It was expected to be read aloud in court later Thursday. The jury deliberated for just over nine hours Wednesday and Thursday …

NPR reports: Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett denied Monday that he staged an anti-gay, racist attack on himself in downtown Chicago, testifying at his trial that “there was no hoax.” Smollett said he wrote the $3,500 check for nutrition and training advice from one of the brothers, Abimbola Osundairo, while he was going to be out of town, not as …

Chicago’s ABC News affiliate reports: Jussie Smollett’s trial began Monday nearly three years after the former “Empire” actor reported he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago. The actor is facing charges for what authorities say was a fake attack. Smollett told police he was walking home early in the morning back in January of 2019 when …

USA Today reports: Jussie Smollett will face a Chicago trial jury starting in late November, after a judge denied his latest motion to dismiss disorderly conduct charges arising from an alleged hoax hate crime he reported in 2019. During a mostly behind-closed-doors virtual hearing in Chicago Friday, Judge James Linn allowed one of the newest members of Smollett’s sprawling team …

The Associated Press reports: A Kansas police department is apologizing after an officer admitted to making up a story that a McDonald’s employee wrote an expletive and the word “pig” on a coffee cup. Herington Police Chief Brian Hornaday said in a news release Wednesday that he is “truly sorry for all unnecessary, negative attention and pain that this incident …

NBC News reports: “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett on Tuesday appeared at a hearing in Chicago on whether cameras would be allowed in court for the criminal case alleging he staged a racist, homophobic attack on himself. He was not required to appear, but a representative told NBC News that Smollett chose to do so “to show confidence in his innocence.” …

CBS News Chicago reports: Jussie Smollett is now facing deeper legal troubles after a grand jury returned 16 federal counts against the actor for falsely reporting a hate crime attack against him in January. The grand jury returned the indictment on Thursday. Last month, Smollett was charged with a disorderly conduct count for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack …

USA Today reports: Twitter announced that it is permanently suspending Jacob Wohl, a 21-year-old Internet hoaxer and supporter of President Donald Trump, following the publication of a USA TODAY article in which he boasted of using the social media platform to spread lies and disinformation. In the article published Tuesday morning, Wohl disclosed what he claimed were his plans to …

USA Today reports: Fox announced on Friday Jussie Smollett was suspended from the hit show “Empire” after the actor was accused of paying two men to attack him last month in what police say was a ploy to raise his profile because he was unhappy with his salary. “The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: When Jussie Smollett called the cast and crew of the television show “Empire” together Thursday night, they were expecting the actor to come clean about what really happened, a person at the meeting told CNN. Smollett did apologize to his coworkers for any embarrassment they might have felt since the story began. But then, to the …

The Blast reports: Jussie Smollett is to be released this afternoon on a $100,000 bond and is ordered to surrender his passport. During the hearing, text messages between Jussie Smollett and the brothers were read aloud to the court. Smollett was seen taking deep breaths, closing his eyes, and shaking his head. Smollett’s siblings, including Jazz, Jake and Jocqui, arrived …

USA Today reports: “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett choreographed a homophobic, racist attack against himself with the help of two brother he knew, in an attempt to raise his profile because he was dissatisfied with the salary he was making, police said Thursday. Eddie Johnson, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, kicked off the presser, explaining what their investigation concluded. “This …

CBS News reports: “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is in custody to face charges of making a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago late last month by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, police said. Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorderly …

ABC News Chicago reports: Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Jussie Smollett is officially a suspect in a criminal investigation for filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony. Guglielmi said CPD detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County grand jury. Earlier Gugliemi confirmed prosecutors are speaking with Jussie Smollett’s attorneys as part of …

The Associated Press reports: A leading purveyor of fake news in the 2016 presidential election has died outside Phoenix at the age of 38. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Mark Casey said Tuesday authorities discovered Paul Horner dead in his bed on Sept. 18. Casey said the Maricopa County medical examiner performed an autopsy which showed there were no signs …

The Texas Tribune reports: Beth Van Duyne is leaving the Irving mayor’s office to become a U.S. Housing and Urban Development regional administrator overseeing Texas and its four surrounding states. Van Duyne, whose new post became official Monday, had been in talks since November with President Donald Trump’s administration and other Republicans about a federal government role. She said much …

The maker of the hoax Bernie Sanders video has confessed. Matt Rettenmund has his statement at Boy Culture: “So long story short, this was a social experiment, and everyone seem to fall for it. Im a Bernie supporter but one of the main things that I set to prove is the medias ability to rewrite headlines and make everything seem …

Via the Friendly Atheist: Remember the anonymous woman who said she would go ahead with her planned abortion unless pro-lifers raised $1 million (which she said would be put in a trust fund for the child)? Turns out it was a hoax. A great big publicity stunt. The website ProLifeAntiWoman.com no longer has the woman’s plea. It’s now a website …

The two Long Island radio hosts who pulled that anti-gay party invite hoax have been suspended. From the station’s Facebook page: Wednesday, February 12, 2014, the K-98.3 (WKJY) Morning Show with Steve and Leeana aired a story about a girl’s birthday party and one parent’s objection to the same-sex situation of that girl’s parents. After this aired, it was brought …