Jussie Smollett seen wearing noose around his neck following alleged hate attack in newly surfaced police footage

The Empire actor was accused in February of staging a racist and homophobic attack on himself

Adam White
Tuesday 25 June 2019 10:18 BST
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Video shows Jussie Smollett with 'noose' around neck after reporting alleged attack

Police body-cam footage has been released that shows the Empire actor Jussie Smollett sporting the makeshift noose he claimed was wrapped around his neck by two men in an assault he has since been accused of staging.

The footage, part of 70 hours of video released by the Chicago Police Department yesterday, was recorded at 2.42am on the 29th of January, 45 minutes after the alleged attack occurred. Police are seen entering Smollett’s apartment and finding the actor standing near his kitchen sporting what appears to be white rope fashioned into a noose and placed around his neck.

Smollett, whose face is blurred, tells police that he wanted them to see the noose before he removed it from his neck, and also explains that he had bleach poured over him. He then requests that police turn off their cameras. Smollett’s creative director Frank Gaston is previously seen explaining to police that Smollett did not originally want to report the alleged crime, suggesting that his “pride is in the way”.

Smollett claimed at the time that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic hate-crime committed by two men who shouted “This is MAGA country” before wrapping a noose around his neck. He was later accused of staging the crime, with brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo alleging that Smollett had paid them to carry out the attack. Smollett continues to maintain his innocence.

A special prosecutor was last week recruited by a judge to investigate the handling of the Smollett case and the decision by Cook County prosecutors to ultimately dismiss all charges against the Empire actor despite ambiguity still hanging over much of it. Chicago officials have since demanded that Smollett pay back the $130,000 spent investigating the attack. It has been confirmed, meanwhile, that Smollett will not return for the next season of Empire.

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