# Jussie Smollett (Empire) alleged hate crime attack. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 17, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706 "2019-02-17T04:04:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/21 "2019-02-18T17:21:08Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I wonder if he lives in such a liberal echo chamber that he never imagined this could become a police matter, because he thought that in “racist” America, racial crimes against blacks are not prosecuted. I suspect he thought no one would be able to hunt down his Nigerian friends, and everyone would just take his word for what happened. He’s never met a real Trump supporter in his life. Nor has any of his friends or co-workers and he was hoping neither had the police. So they all shake their heads sadly, tell him how courageous he is, and for the rest of his life he gets introduced as the noble survivor, etc. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/22 "2019-02-18T17:21:53Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > I wonder if he lives in such a liberal echo chamber that he never imagined this could become a police matter, because he thought that in “racist” America, racial crimes against blacks are not prosecuted. I suppose anything is possible, but he did call police and they came and took a report, so if he had that notion, I imagine it was dispelled shortly after reporting it. Certainly by the time they were asking him for phone records. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/23 "2019-02-18T17:38:22Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Fair point – your usual violent bigot does not pause mid-assault to explain his ideological basis, and few criminal perps or victims IRL use standard catchphrases from popular media in the heat of the encounter. > And the thing is, homo/xenophobic, racist, sexist aggressions DO happen, but mostly to those in no position to call upon public opinion in a timely fashion. > > (And BTW that in itself is an argument \*against \*using a celebrity \*hoax \*to bring attention to the issue, because when you are a celebrity, it \*will \*be investigated.) > > I can’t help but SMH. There are (too many) non-celebrity hoaxes that get investigated and discovered too. I guess some people see real advantage in the status of being a victim of a hate crime. I agree that these sort of hoaxes are terrible, and make it more difficult for actual victims to find justice. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/24 "2019-02-18T17:58:24Z")
My first thought when this broke was that he was attacked, but that he wasn’t telling the full story. There were just too many coincidences for it to be a random attack. A few weeks earlier some college kid claimed his had been kidnapped walking through an alley behind the McDonald’s in Lincoln Park. Immediately everyone asked “why were you walking through the alley and why the hell would kidnappers just happen to grab you?” Sure enough, a couple days later he revealed it was a drug deal gone wrong. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/25 "2019-02-18T18:41:26Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > He’s never met a real Trump supporter in his life. Nor has any of his friends or co-workers and he was hoping neither had the police. Interesting insights. How long have you been intimately acquainted with Mr. Smollett? (I assume you aren’t generalizing and making assumptions at the same time you accuse him of generalizing and making assumptions, because that would be really hypocritical…) ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/26 "2019-02-18T18:56:13Z")
So what’s the latest from Smollett? Is he still denying that he orchestrated the attack? Last I heard was this statement from his attorney, two days ago: > [@](#): > > [New statement from Jussie Smollett’s attorneys “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.”](https://twitter.com/JoshuaHoyos/status/1096979588947824640) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/27 "2019-02-18T19:26:04Z")
Sounds like he’s digging a deeper and deeper hole. It’s going to get ugly if he finally admits this was staged. Meanwhile the police are trying to schedule another interview. Smollett is unavailable. [https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollett-case-investigation-alleged-attack-brothers-released/amp/](https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollett-case-investigation-alleged-attack-brothers-released/amp/) > [@](#): > > “There are no plans for Jussie Smollett to meet with Chicago police today,” a spokesperson for Smollett’s attorneys, Victor Henderson and Todd Pugh, stated in an email. “Smollett’s attorneys will keep an active dialogue going with Chicago police on his behalf. We have no further comment today.” ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/28 "2019-02-18T19:59:01Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Didn’t he call the cops? The original news stories are getting buried by the more recent ones so I wasn’t able to find anything by quick Googling, but I could have sworn it was his friend or manager who called the cops. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/29 "2019-02-18T20:44:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sounds like he’s digging a deeper and deeper hole. > > It’s going to get ugly if he finally admits this was staged. > > Meanwhile the police are trying to schedule another interview. Smollett is unavailable. > [https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollett-case-investigation-alleged-attack-brothers-released/amp/](https://www.google.com/amp/s/chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollett-case-investigation-alleged-attack-brothers-released/amp/) “a spokesperson for Smollett’s attorneys”?!? I wonder how much it costs to hire attorneys that have their own spokesperson. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/30 "2019-02-18T20:53:13Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > “a spokesperson for Smollett’s attorneys”?!? I wonder how much it costs to hire attorneys that have their own spokesperson. Probably a legal secretary or paralegal who works at the firm. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/31 "2019-02-18T20:54:06Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Interesting insights. How long have you been intimately acquainted with Mr. Smollett? We’ve never met. I have never even watched his show. > [@](#): > > (I assume you aren’t generalizing and making assumptions at the same time you accuse him of generalizing and making assumptions, because that would be really hypocritical…) No, that’s kind of silly. I haven’t faked any hate crimes against myself. Or anyone else. Even though it was a long weekend. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/32 "2019-02-18T21:01:08Z")
Here’s an article from a Chicago CBS station: [Jussie Smollett Case: Clues Into Potential Motive Behind The Attack](https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollet-motive-staged-attack/) > [@](#): > > “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, upset after a racist letter sent to the show’s studio didn’t get a “bigger reaction,” is suspected of paying two men to attack him a week later, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the investigation. > > “When the letter didn’t get enough attention, he concocted the staged attack,” a source told CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards. Other sources corroborated that information. The article seems to imply that he may have been involved in sending the letter. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/33 "2019-02-18T21:14:22Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Here’s an article from a Chicago CBS station: [Jussie Smollett Case: Clues Into Potential Motive Behind The Attack](https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollet-motive-staged-attack/) > > The article seems to imply that he may have been involved in sending the letter. He was clearly at the end of his rope and was just trying to start a vital, much needed conversation about the nature of inescapable American bigotry, as well as calling out Trump on his hateful policies and also shining a cleansing, healing light on the vile, pervasive racism inherent in Subway’s decision to pull their Tuna Jalapeno Melt from the “Five Dollar Footlong” menu. ---
**Author:** ![Calatin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/34 "2019-02-18T21:43:04Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Here’s an article from a Chicago CBS station: [Jussie Smollett Case: Clues Into Potential Motive Behind The Attack](https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/18/jussie-smollet-motive-staged-attack/) > > The article seems to imply that he may have been involved in sending the letter. There’s also speculation that his character was going to be written off of the show, and so he did this to gain public sympathy and support. Of course, “Empire” has denied there were any plans to let him go. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/35 "2019-02-19T00:29:04Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > … The article seems to imply that he may have been involved in sending the letter. If that’s the case, he may be well and truly fucked. I have doubts as to whether Cook County would prosecute him for filing a false police report, but the letter with white powder probably involves the Feds, and probably a much higher chance of prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/36 "2019-02-19T02:33:23Z")
[Moderating] Fixed typo in title. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/37 "2019-02-19T03:38:25Z")
> [@Calatin](#): > > There’s also speculation that his character was going to be written off of the show, and so he did this to gain public sympathy and support. > > Of course, “Empire” has denied there were any plans to let him go. Wouldn’t they though? It’s not like a show is going to reveal potential plot twists or bad blood which tend to be the main reasons for suddenly writing a character out of a show, especially when they were asked back when it was still a coin-flip if this was real or a hoax. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/38 "2019-02-19T04:24:01Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > If that’s the case, he may be well and truly fucked. I have doubts as to whether Cook County would prosecute him for filing a false police report, but the letter with white powder probably involves the Feds, and probably a much higher chance of prosecution. Cook County IMHO did some ingenious sleuthing to get to the bottom of this, fueled again IMHO by how bugshit crazy his story was. Id be a little surprised if they did not press charges. Especially given how quick they told the two guys “Well you’re charged with battery dudes. You wanna tell me the truth now??” ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/39 "2019-02-19T14:41:23Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > He was clearly at the end of his rope and was just trying to start a vital, much needed conversation about the nature of inescapable American bigotry, as well as calling out Trump on his hateful policies and also shining a cleansing, healing light on the vile, pervasive racism inherent in Subway’s decision to pull their Tuna Jalapeno Melt from the “Five Dollar Footlong” menu. “At the end of his rope”? Good one. How many laws has this guy broken? ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706/40 "2019-02-19T14:59:55Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Cook County IMHO did some ingenious sleuthing to get to the bottom of this, fueled again IMHO by how bugshit crazy his story was. Id be a little surprised if they did not press charges. Especially given how quick they told the two guys “Well you’re charged with battery dudes. You wanna tell me the truth now??” The people who did the ingenious sleuthing (the police) are not the same ones that decide whether to take a case to trial (the prosecutor) or not, but I hope you’re right. Justice for Jussie! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jussie-smollett-empire-alleged-hate-crime-attack/829706.md?page=3)