By Victor Morton - The Washington Times - Thursday, February 14, 2019

The two “persons of interest” whom actor Jussie Smollett said Thursday beat him up in a racist attack last month are both reportedly black.

Although Chicago police were not calling them “suspects,” the department told reporters it had brought in for questioning the two persons identified on a grainy and blurry surveillance video from the night of the attack Jan. 29.

Mr. Smollett had no doubts though, telling reporters Thursday “I don’t have any doubt in my mind that that’s them.”

The openly gay actor featured on the show “Empire” has maintained the attackers used racist taunts and told him Chicago was “MAGA country.”

But Chicago TV station WGN threw a wrinkle into his story Thursday.

“@WGNInvestigates has learned new details about the two men police are questioning about Jussie Smollett’s claim he was the victim of a racial & homophobic attack: 1) Both men are African-American 2) At least 1 of them is connected to the ’Empire’ show,” Ben Bradley, the station’s anchorman, posted on Twitter.

SEE ALSO: Jussie Smollett attack ‘persons of interest’ questioned by police

According to CBS Chicago, both men have appeared as extras on “Empire” and are of Nigerian descent. Police raided their home Wednesday night.

Other observers have noted inconsistencies in Mr. Smollett’s story, including that he still had a Subway sandwich with him after the robbery, and Chicago police have been critical of his cooperation with them on matters such as turning over his corroborating cell-phone records.

• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.

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