Did ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett play role in own hate crime?
- Jussie Smollett’s account of an attack by masked men who declared ‘this is MAGA country’ and put a rope around his neck had been met with scepticism from some
- Trajectory of the investigation ‘shifted’ after detectives questioned two brothers about the attack and released them without charges
The outrage in America that simmered after actor Jussie Smollett said he was attacked by people shouting racial and anti-gay slurs was fuelled in part by celebrities who spoke out loud and strong on social media.
But the outrage has now been replaced by surprise, doubt and bafflement as the singers, actors and politicians who came out in support of the Empire star struggle to digest the strange twists the case has taken.
Some conservative pundits, meanwhile, have gleefully seized on the moment.
The narrative that just a week ago seemed cut-and-dry has become messy and divisive – and it’s all playing out again on social media.
Smollett, who is black and gay, said he was physically attacked last month as he walked in downtown Chicago, the third-largest American city.
He claimed it was done by two masked men shouting racial and anti-gay slurs and “This is MAGA country!”- a reference to the Make America Great Again slogan used in US President Donald Trump’s election campaign.