The “Empire” actor has been heavily scrutinized after the Chicago Police Department alleged he may have orchestrated a hate crime against himself.
After allegations surfaced that Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime against himself, the actor and singer has reportedly told police that he has an “untreated drug problem,” according to Page Six.
The 36-year-old Empire actor, who is black and openly gay, has recently been the subject of media scrutiny after reporting a hate attack on Jan. 29 in which two men assaulted him. But upon investigating, according to the Chicago Tribune, law enforcement officials allegedly have reason to believe Smollett arranged the attack himself.
One of the two brothers Smollett allegedly paid to pull off the attack may have also served as his drug dealer, according to TMZ. Prosecutors in the case reportedly said that Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo dealt “designer drugs” to Smollett numerous times dating back to spring of 2018.
Previously, Smollett reported not having any alcohol or mental health issues when filling out legal forms. As such, there is speculation that Smollett may be claiming to have an untreated problem in order to use it as a defense in legal proceedings.
“This latest claim is only serving to confuse the issue more, because after he was released on a $100,000 bond, he visited the set of Empire to apologize for the situation, while still insisting he had nothing to do with the attack,” Inquisitr stated. “The claim has some wondering whether Smollett is already setting up his defense to argue that he cannot be held accountable for any part he may have taken in staging the attack.”
Smollett has been charged with filing a false report, and could potentially face up to three years in prison if he is found guilty.
The Cook County state attorney’s office said that “Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report about the attack, according to the Chicago Tribune. “Hours earlier, the Chicago Police Department announced that Smollett was officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation for filing a false police report, a felony.”
Empire has also removed Smollett from two episodes of the show that have yet to air, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us,” executive producers of the show said in a statement. “Jussie has been an important member of our EMPIRE family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out.”
