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| Washed up entertainer Jussie Smollett faces more legal troubles. |
The Fox musical drama Empire will return in March to finish up its final season. Lee Daniels and Danny Strong have confirmed that embattled entertainer Jussie Smollett will have a few guest appearances.
The embattled entertainer is facing another round of state charges in the infamous hoax.
Smollett has not appeared on television or performed in concert since the January 2019 scandal that killed his career. Not only he caused turmoil at Empire, but its impact allowed Fox to cancel Star in the middle of a cliffhanger.
Smollett is accused of paying two men to stage a racist and anti-LGBT attack on him because he was unhappy with his salary and he wanted to promote his career.
A grand jury in Chicago has decided to indict him for a second time on charges of lying to police, in a case that drew worldwide attention.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, originally was charged with disorderly conduct in February 2019 for allegedly staging the attack and then lying about it to investigators.
His story-- he said two men beat him up, shouted racist and anti-gay slur, threw bleach on him and put a noose around his neck -- fell apart when brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundario, who were bodybuilders and aspiring actors whom Smollett knew from the Empire set and the gym, told the law that the actor paid them $3,500 to stage the attack.
Illinois special prosecutor Dan Webb said in a statement Tuesday that Smollett faces six felony counts of disorderly stemming from four separate false reports he gave to the law.
The entertainer is facing up to ten years if convicted in the state of Illinois.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Smollett, 37, was an actor on the Fox show "Empire" on January 29, 2019 when he reported to police that he had been attacked in Chicago in an incident that ended with a noose around his neck. Police initially investigated the case as a possible hate crime.
After investigating, then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, said Smollett had paid brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo -- whom he met on the TV show -- $3,500 to stage the attack for publicity.
Johnson said Smollett wanted to take "advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case in mid-February in response to rumors she was connected to Smollett's family. First assistant state's attorney Joe Magats became the lead prosecutor.
Smollett was initially indicted in March on 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct, charges that were later dropped.
At present time, Smollett is owing the city of Chicago over $130,000 in fines. He is still under federal watch for possible extortion and the staged death threats to the set of Empire.
Note: I normally don't use the name of a suspect accused of a criminal act. Given how Smollett has became a controversial figure in the junk food media, his name is used for this purpose.
The embattled entertainer is facing another round of state charges in the infamous hoax.
Smollett has not appeared on television or performed in concert since the January 2019 scandal that killed his career. Not only he caused turmoil at Empire, but its impact allowed Fox to cancel Star in the middle of a cliffhanger.
Smollett is accused of paying two men to stage a racist and anti-LGBT attack on him because he was unhappy with his salary and he wanted to promote his career.
A grand jury in Chicago has decided to indict him for a second time on charges of lying to police, in a case that drew worldwide attention.
Smollett, who is Black and gay, originally was charged with disorderly conduct in February 2019 for allegedly staging the attack and then lying about it to investigators.
His story-- he said two men beat him up, shouted racist and anti-gay slur, threw bleach on him and put a noose around his neck -- fell apart when brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundario, who were bodybuilders and aspiring actors whom Smollett knew from the Empire set and the gym, told the law that the actor paid them $3,500 to stage the attack.
Illinois special prosecutor Dan Webb said in a statement Tuesday that Smollett faces six felony counts of disorderly stemming from four separate false reports he gave to the law.
The entertainer is facing up to ten years if convicted in the state of Illinois.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Smollett, 37, was an actor on the Fox show "Empire" on January 29, 2019 when he reported to police that he had been attacked in Chicago in an incident that ended with a noose around his neck. Police initially investigated the case as a possible hate crime.
After investigating, then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, said Smollett had paid brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo -- whom he met on the TV show -- $3,500 to stage the attack for publicity.
Johnson said Smollett wanted to take "advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case in mid-February in response to rumors she was connected to Smollett's family. First assistant state's attorney Joe Magats became the lead prosecutor.
Smollett was initially indicted in March on 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct, charges that were later dropped.
At present time, Smollett is owing the city of Chicago over $130,000 in fines. He is still under federal watch for possible extortion and the staged death threats to the set of Empire.
Note: I normally don't use the name of a suspect accused of a criminal act. Given how Smollett has became a controversial figure in the junk food media, his name is used for this purpose.
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