Chicago’s top police officer said Thursday that “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett “took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career” by making up a story about an anti-black, anti-gay attack against him on a city street late last month.
“This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn and certainly didn’t deserve,” police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who is black, said during a press conference announcing Mr. Smollett’s arrest.
Mr. Smollett, who is black and gay, turned himself in to Chicago police early Thursday, and was charged with filing a false police report and felony disorderly conduct, a charge that carries a potential three-year prison sentence upon conviction. His was released after posting $10,000 on a $100,000 bond and was ordered to surrender his passport during a court hearing later in the day.
“Bogus police reports cause real harm. They do harm to every legitimate victim who’s in need of police,” Superintendent Johnson said, adding that the Smollett case could tarnish genuine hate crimes and make the public skeptical of reports in the future.
If convicted, the Fox TV actor could be required to reimburse the Chicago Police Department for its investigation of his report of being beaten and disparaged by two men early Jan. 29. He said the men wore ski masks and Make America Great Again hats, shouted racial and anti-gay slurs at him as they attacked him, poured an unknown chemical on him and placed a rope around his neck.
President Trump, who made “Make America Great Again” his 2016 campaign slogan, berated the actor Thursday on Twitter.
“@JussieSmollett — what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #MAGA,” the president tweeted.
Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidates who had been outspoken in denouncing the alleged attack were largely quiet Thursday after Mr. Smollett’s arrest.
Police officials and prosecutors said Thursday that Mr. Smollett paid two brothers $3,500 to stage the attack on himself and coached them in what to say during a rehearsal of the fake assault.
The brothers — Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who had worked with Mr. Smollett on “Empire” — were picked up by police as “persons of interest” in the case last week and revealed the scheme to investigators during questioning, officials said.
The brothers, who are of Nigerian background, were released without being charged.
Superintendent Johnson said Mr. Smollett faked the attack because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” and thought the notoriety of the incident would help him increase his paycheck.
SEE ALSO: Jussie Smollett charged with felony in attack hoax
The alleged attack captured national media, and dozens of celebrities rushed to denounce hate crimes.
Chicago’s police chief criticized the press for providing so much coverage of Mr. Smollett’s case because of his celebrity status and urged them to do the same with other criminal cases in the city.
“Celebrities news commentators and even presidential candidates weighed in on something that was choreographed by an actor,” Superintendent Johnson said.
Police said the actor also sent to himself before the staged attack a threatening letter with racial and anti-gay language at Fox 21 Television Studios, where “Empire” is filmed. The letter contained a white powder, which reportedly prompted a hazmat team to respond to the scene. The substance eventually was determined to be aspirin.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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