So it seems two men have been arrested.
Quote:
CHICAGO (WTHR/AP) — New developments in the investigation of an alleged attack on actor Jussie Smollett. TMZ reports police have arrested two men from Nigeria who had worked as extras on the "Empire" show that Smollett stars in.
According to TMZ, the brothers' home was raided on Thursday with police removing potential evidence.
The brothers were originally picked up by police on Wednesday night at an airport in Chicago, TMZ reports.
Chicago police said Thursday night that local media reports that the attack against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was a hoax are unconfirmed.
Producers of the television drama also disputed media reports that Smollett's character, Jamal Lyon, was being written off the show, calling the idea "patently ridiculous."
"(Smollett) remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him," 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said in a statement late Thursday.
Smollett has said he was attacked while out getting food at a Subway restaurant.
The singer and actor said the attackers yelled "this is MAGA country," referencing President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Smollett said he didn't want to call police at first, but that his friend and creative director, Frank Gatson, called on his behalf. Smollett said he didn't remove a rope from around his neck before police arrived "because I wanted them to see."
He also said he didn't initially want to give police his cellphone because the device contained private content and phone numbers.
Smollett later gave detectives heavily redacted phone records that police have said are insufficient for a criminal investigation.
|
Well I'm eating my words, this really sounds like a non-orchestrated racist attack to me.