JUSSIE STAGED HIS ATTACK BECAUSE HE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH HIS SALARY AT “EMPIRE”
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Joseph Omoniyi
In a dramatic turn of event, Chicago Police officials asserted on Thursday that actor Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime hoax against himself on Jan. 29 because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” on the Fox series “Empire.”
According to Chicago Police Superintendent, Eddie Johnson who presided over a press conference on Thursday morning after Smollett turned himself over to the police to face a charge of filing a false report.
Johnson said he was angered by what he described as Smollett’s “smear” of the city where “Empire” is filmed by claiming he was the victim of a vicious hate crime spurred by racism and homophobia.
Johnson called Smollett’s actions “shameful” and accused him of hurting the entire city with a stunt planned for his own self-interest. He also criticized the actor for forcing the city to spend time and resources on an investigation when Smollett knew there was no crime. Smollett is to be formally charged and face a bond hearing Thursday at 1:30 p.m. CT.
Smollett, 36, has maintained his innocence, vehemently denying that he had any connection with the attack. Police made it clear on Thursday that they have no doubt that he orchestrated the incident. Representatives for Smollett could not be reached for comment.
“It painted this city that we all love and work hard in a negative connotation,” Johnson said during the roughly 25-minute news conference. “To insinuate and stage a hate crime of this nature — it’s just despicable. It makes you wonder what’s going through someone’s mind to do something like that.”
Smollett has been staunchly backed by “Empire” producer 20th Century Fox TV and Fox. As late as Wednesday night, knowledgable sources said that while Fox was considering suspending Smollett from the show, the expectation was still that he would eventually finish his work on the show’s fifth season, which is still in production. But on Thursday the studio’s tone shifted
“We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process,” 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment said in a statement. “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”
Johnson and Chicago Police commander Edward Wodnicki offered a detailed timeline of the case and the investigation that has unfolded during the past three weeks. Court documents filed in connection with Smollett’s bond hearing — he was released Thursday on $100,000 bail — offer more details of Smollett’s leading role in staging the attack.
Smollett is accused of paying two brothers, Olabinjo Osundairo, 27, and Abimbola Osundairo, 25, to physically attack him and yell racist and homophobic slurs in the early hours of Jan. 29. Police said Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 by check and promised to pay them an additional $500 after the incident.
The brothers were taken into custody on Feb. 13. After two days of questioning, the pair broke down and confessed to being paid by Smollett to stage the attack. Johnson said police didn’t secure confirmation that the incident was a hoax “until the 47th hour” of the 48-hour period in which police could hold them without formal charges.
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