‘Empire’ Cast Member Alleges Homophobic Attack

CHICAGO (AP) — A cast member on the hit television show “Empire” alleged he was physically attacked by men in Chicago who shouted racial and homophobic slurs, police said Tuesday.

Police did not release the actor’s name but a statement from Fox, which airs “Empire,” identified him as Jussie Smollett, 36, who plays Jamal Lyon on the show. Authorities said they are investigating the alleged attack as a hate crime.

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CHICAGO (CBS) — Jussie Smollett paid two brothers to stage an attack against him, directed them to buy items used in the alleged assault and actually rehearsed it with them, sources say.

Sources say at least one of the brothers bought the rope used in the incident at Smollett’s request. The sources also say the “Empire” actor paid for the rope, which was purchased at the Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in the Ravenswood neighborhood the weekend of Jan. 25.

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CTListener said:

Disgraceful if true. The right will pounce on this, as they have every right to, and Smollett severely damages the cause he was trying to help for a long time to come. With all the hate evident to all sides in this country, why does an actor need pay people off to choreograph an attack?

If Smollett is, somehow, being framed, that will take a whole lot of explaining and a paper trail that may not even exist.

Hate what has happened to this country.

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CTListener said:

Is Smollet about to give Buffet a challenge for most frequent misspelling of a surname ending in double-T?

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(CNN)When Jussie Smollett released his debut album "Sum of My Music" last year, he was riding high.

The actor and musician had also just finished directing an episode of his hit series "Empire" and appeared in the EPIX docu-series, "America Divided."
"I'm not gonna lie and pretend otherwise, I want this s**t to do well," Smollett told Fader last March of his first full album. "If I didn't, I would just play it for my mother because she f***ing loves it or I would just try and pitch the songs for 'Empire.' But no...these songs really mean something to me and I want people to hear me."
People are listening to Smollett now as questions mount over his report to police last month that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation have told CNN that Chicago police believe Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the alleged assault.
Police sources: New evidence suggests Jussie Smollett orchestrated attack
In a statement from his attorneys issued Saturday, Smollett denied playing a role in the attack.
"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," the statement read. "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."

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Scenes featuring Jussie Smollett on the hit TV show “Empire” have been drastically cut amid the whirlwind of controversy surrounding his alleged hate attack, according to a report Tuesday.

The actor, who plays gay singer-songwriter Jamal Lyon on the show, was supposed to have nine scenes and a big musical performance in the second-to-last episode of Season 5, production sources told TMZ.

But five scenes and the musical number have been axed.

Smollett’s character is also no longer the focus of his remaining four scenes, which will now feature an ensemble of characters.

The 36-year-old actor is spending far less time on set as a result. He’ll be working Friday and possibly Thursday but won’t be rehearsing.

“Empire” scriptwriters have been scrambling over the last 24 hours to revise this season’s scripts.

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ABC employees were dubious about Jussie Smollett’s alleged racist and homophobic assault immediately following his interview with Robin Roberts, a new report says.

Staffers who were present for the exclusive sit-down with the “Good Morning America” host felt the truth behind Smollett’s story was “up in the air,” sources told The Blast.

A source told The Post that the interview came about because the “Empire” star was “adamant” about appearing on “GMA.”

He specifically requested that Roberts handle the interview because the two knew each other from when she appeared on an episode of “Empire” that aired in April, according to The Blast.

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