Chicago Police Believe Jussie Smollett Staged Attack Because He Was “Dissatisfied” With ‘Empire’ Salary

Chicago police believe that Empire star Jussie Smollett staged his January 29 attack as part of an attempt to “promote his career.” On Thursday morning, just a few hours after the actor was arrested for filing a false police report, Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson held a press conference about the incident, which investigators now say was “orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied by his salary” on the Fox drama. According to Page Six, Johnson, a black man, slammed Smollett, saying that as a result of the “stunt,” hate crimes will now “be met with a level of skepticism that previously didn’t happen.”

“The stunt was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied by his salary,” said Johnson. He explained that police believe the Empire star paid two Nigerian brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundario, $3,500 to stage the attack, adding that while the men “punched [Smollett] a little bit,” the majority of the actor’s injuries were “likely self-inflicted.” The superintendent later confirmed reports that Smollett planned the attack after a “false” letter he received at the Empire set failed to garner attention.

Speaking as an African-American member of the Chicago community, Johnson said that he was “offended” and “angry” about the situation. “This announcement today recognizes that Empire actor Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,” he said. “I’m left hanging my head and asking why? Why would anyone, especially an African-American man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? How could someone look at the hatred and suffering associated with that symbol and see an opportunity to manipulate that symbol to further his own public profile?”

“I’m also concerned about what this means moving forward for hate crimes,” said Johnson. “My concern is that hate crimes will now publicly be met with a level of skepticism that previously didn’t happen.” The police boss went on to call the incident a “publicity stunt,” saying that it is “a scar that Chicago didn’t earn and certainly didn’t deserve.”

Smollett’s attorneys have maintained his innocence. After Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report on Wednesday night, his lawyers released a statement promising to fight the charges. “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked,” they said. “Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”

You can watch Superintendent Eddie Johnson’s remarks in their entirety above.

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