Jussie Smollett Has ‘No Plans’ to Meet With Chicago Police Today
Reid Nakamura
Stunned silence would be one way to describe how Hollywood is processing the arrest of Jussie Smollett after authorities say he made up a racist and homophobic attack.The normally active Twitter feeds of leading artist-activists such as Ava DuVernay, Judd Apatow and Matthew Cherry were quiet in the hours after Smollett’s Thursday arrest in Chicago on a felony charge of filing a false police report.Don Lemon — the outspoken CNN anchor who like Smollett is both gay and African-American — grasped for words on his newscast on Wednesday night. “It’s … terrible,” he managed to say.Also Read: Cops: 'Empire' Star Jussie Smollett Staged Attack Because He Was 'Dissatisfied With His Salary'There’s some cognitive dissonance going on: Smollett, that beautiful, sweet young man who comes from a warm, sprawling family with sibling actors, who started out in “The Mighty Ducks” in 1992 and rose to prominence on the edgy Fox show “Empire” — that Jussie is accused of mounting a racist, homophobic attack on himself?Insiders with whom I’ve spoken were frustrated and saddened. One said that she had already had a difficult conversation with her children about the attack when it was first reported, and now wasn’t sure what to tell them.The Chicago police chief said on Thursday that Smollett staged the attack because he wanted a pay raise — but that didn’t add up to observers in the business.I will here pause to point out that we don’t know the truth at this point. Smollett has been charged and arrested, but maintains his innocence. Maybe he is. The evidence we’ve seen — like those two brothers buying a rope and other paraphernalia — doesn’t look good.For weeks, Fox has been standing behind its star, vouching for his good character, hiring a PR specialist, denying rumors that he was going to be written out of the show. Within hours of his arrest, the studio pivoted from its previous blanket support for its star to say: “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”Also Read: Fox Says It Is 'Considering Our Options' After Jussie Smollett ArrestIn the last few days, defenders like DuVernay insisted on reserving judgment even as the police said they were moving toward the conclusion that Smollett had written himself a threatening letter, hired two brothers to throw a noose around his neck and fling bleach at him and claim a MAGA connection.The sight of a visibly indignant Chicago police chief, decrying a waste of precious public resources on the case, does not help matters for Smollett.Update: According to Chicago police officials, Jussie Smollett wrote a fake letter and paid for the staged attack because he was “dissatisfied with his salary.” https://t.co/MyPbjMeUKh— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) February 21, 2019It’s an awkward moment for Hollywood at a time when this liberal industry is busy decrying the divisive politics of our time both on public platforms like Twitter and in the films and TV shows — including Smollett’s own show “Empire,” which was created by Lee Daniels, another artist who happens to be gay and African American.And it’s distracting on the eve of an Oscars ceremony that finally has recognized a critical mass of diverse talent and movie themes in its top categories, from “Roma” to “Black Panther” to “Black KKKlansmen” to “Green Book.”Also Read: Oscars Endgame: What Are 'Roma,' 'Black Panther' and Other Campaign Ads Really Trying to Say?It’s a setback for those who want to champion equality and diversity, which is pretty much everyone in Hollywood, let’s be honest. It hands a potent weapon to critics of “Hollywood liberals” that will be wielded for years.Like the Tawana Brawley case of the 1980s which left a lasting stain on activists like Al Sharpton, it will haunt Smollett and those who chose to ardently defend him.I will stipulate again that I don’t know what happened in this case. But it’s an important reminder that no one has a monopoly on idiocy, cynicism and egoism. And that we should pay close attention before we judge.Read original story Jussie Smollett Arrest Stuns Hollywood Into Silence and Sorrow At TheWrap
Jussie Smollett is not scheduled to meet with investigators today about the assault he reported last month, representatives for the “Empire” star said in a statement on Monday.
“There are no plans for Jussie Smollett to meet with Chicago police today,” Smollett’s attorneys, Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, said. “Any news reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate. Smollett’s attorneys will keep an active dialogue going with Chicago police on his behalf.”
The statement comes just days after two potential suspects in the case were brought in for questioning and released without charges.
A CNN report on Saturday, citing two unnamed law enforcement sources, said investigators believe Smollett may have paid the two men — Nigerian brothers with a professional connection to Smollett — to orchestrate the attack. According to the report, the men were released after agreeing to cooperate with investigators.
Smollett’s lawyers have denied that the reported attack was a hoax, saying “anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”
A police spokesperson later said the department was “not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released.” He did, however, indicate that there had been “developments” since the suspects were first taken in for questioning last week, and said police were seeking to re-interview Smollett.
Smollett was hospitalized on Jan. 29, and reported to police that he was assaulted near his Chicago home by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs and referenced “MAGA.” According to a police statement after the incident, the actor said he was battered “about the face,” had bleach poured on him and had a rope wrapped around his neck.
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