Tag Archives: Jussie Smollett

The Associated Press reports: Jussie Smollett was released from jail following six nights behind bars after an appeals court agreed with his lawyers that he should be free pending the appeal of his conviction for lying to police about a racist and homophobic attack. The former “Empire” actor walked out of the Cook County Jail on Wednesday surrounded by security. …

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 Chicago Tribune reports: The state’s highest court has rejected actor Jussie Smollett’s attempt to throw out the new charges against him and remove the special prosecutor who brought them. In an emergency motion to the Illinois Supreme Court, Smollett’s attorneys argued that Cook County Judge Michael Toomin overstepped his authority and misinterpreted the law when he ordered the appointment …

Reuters reports: Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty in a Chicago court on Monday to renewed felony charges that he made false reports to police about being attacked in a hate crime that he is accused of staging in a bid to advance his career. The new charges emerged after a five-month investigation by a court-appointed special prosecutor …

The Chicago Tribune reports: Actor Jussie Smollett is facing new criminal charges nearly a year after Cook County prosecutors dropped disorderly conduct counts against him for allegedly orchestrating a racist, homophobic attack on himself early last year. Smollett was indicted by a special Cook County grand jury on six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making four separate false reports …

Variety reports: Empire will officially come to an end at Fox next year with its sixth season, the network announced Monday. The music drama has been battling dropping ratings—as well as scandal, thanks to the ire surrounding embattled (former?) star Jussie Smollett. During a conference call with reporters Monday morning, Fox execs stumbled to avoid definitively answering questions regarding Smollett. …

The Associated Press reports: Fox Entertainment said Tuesday that Jussie Smollett will not return to the series “Empire” next season in the wake of allegations by Chicago officials the actor lied about a racially motivated attack. “By mutual agreement, the studio has negotiated an extension to Jussie Smollett’s option for season six, but at this time there are no plans …

NBC News Chicago reports: The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice will review the case involving “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, President Donald Trump tweeted early Thursday. Representatives for the FBI and DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday morning. The surprise decision to dismiss all charges, which was celebrated by Smollett and his …

Deadline reports: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson dismissed Empire actor Jussie Smollett’s latest insistence on his innocence and decried the prosecutors’ dismissal of criminal charges against the Empire actor as, in Emanuel’s words, “a whitewash.” Emanuel lambasted Smollett as selfishly exploiting hate crime laws for his own personal gain. “He took those laws and turned them …

Jared Holt reports at Right Wing Watch: Prosecutors said that after reviewing facts of the case “including Smollet’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.” Upon news that charges against Smollett had been dropped, conservative media—which had …

“I want you to know that not for a moment was it in vain. I’ve been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one. I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I was accused of. This has been an incredibly difficult time. Honestly, one of the worst of my …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: Charges against actor Jussie Smollett have been dropped, his attorneys said Tuesday. Smollett is in court to make an emergency court appearance. In a statement, Smollett’s attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said, “Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic …

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 …

CBS News Chicago reports: Dozens of workers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital may have been fired for improperly reviewing the medical records of Jussie Smollett, who was treated at the emergency room after he claimed he had been attacked by two men. Sources said those workers have been terminated after gaining access to the “Empire” actor’s medical chart. Smollett has since …

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 …