Jussie Smollett, who has been charged with lying to cops when he claimed to be the victim of a racist and homophobic attack, turned himself in to Chicago police early Thursday.
“Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” who had earlier contacted the 36-year-old’s attorneys to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.
The “Empire” actor was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct for the allegedly false report he made Jan. 29, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Smollett could face probation or up to three years in the slammer if convicted, a Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office spokeswoman told NBC Chicago.
He is due in court for a bond hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
The black actor, who is gay, claimed he was assaulted by two masked men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him. He also said his attackers poured what he believed was bleach over him and put a noose around his neck.
The announcement of charges late Wednesday came after Smollett’s legal team talked with prosecutors in the morning, police said.
His attorneys said 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.”
“Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense,” according to a statement from Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson.