Jussie Smollett has denied complicity in his alleged assault.
Attorneys for Jussie released a statement on Saturday saying the “Empire” actor is “devastated” and “angered” by developments in his case that imply he was connected to his alleged attackers.
“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,” attorneys Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson wrote. “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.”
Jussie told Chicago police on Jan. 29 that he was attacked by two men who used racial and homophobic slurs while they poured bleach on him and put a rope around his neck.
Chicago PD looked through surveillance video and tracked down two brothers from Nigeria, who were detained Wednesday, Feb. 13, as “persons of interest” in the investigation. CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement Friday morning, “there is also no evidence to say that this is a hoax. The alleged victim is being cooperative at this time and continues to be treated as a victim, not a suspect.”
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After the persons of interest were released without being charged later Friday, a source familiar with the Smollet case told NBC News that the investigation had shifted to whether the actor had paid the two men questioned to fake the alleged attack, though the motive is not clear.
“We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation,” the CPD spokesman revealed in a statement on Saturday. “We’ve reached out to the Empire cast member’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.”
Jussie’s attorneys’ Saturday statement says one of the men questioned was the actor’s personal trainer. “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 attorneys’ statement concludes, “Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate. 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.”
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According to a source familiar with the investigation, Jussie is technically considered neither a victim nor a suspect, but CPD want a follow-up interview and as of Sunday morning have not heard back from the actor or his legal representatives.
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