Investigation into Jussie Smollett assault shifts

The investigation into the alleged assault against Empire actor Jussie Smollett took a new turn over the weekend with Chicago police seeking to re-interview him, as he denies claims he orchestrated the attack.

Last week police arrested two Nigerian brothers and held them for questioning. Both know Smollett according to their attorney. They were released late on Friday, and are now co-operating with police.

Chicago Police Department has consistently said it was treating Smollett as a victim, while media reports claim the brothers admitted to police that Smollett paid them to carry out the attack.

“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,” said department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. “We’ve reached out to the Empire cast member’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.”

Smollett’s lawyers say he is “the victim of a hate crime,” and will continue to cooperate with investigators.

Smollett originally claimed two white men hurled racial and homophobic insults as they punched him, poured a chemical substance over him and put a rope around his neck.

The full statement:

“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. 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.

“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.

“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.”

Source: Variety