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Reuters

A grand jury in Chicago has returned a 16-count felony indictment against television actor Jussie Smollett, accusing him of falsely reporting to police that he was the victim of a hate-crime assault, local media reported on Friday, citing court records.
Smollett, who is black and openly gay and plays a gay character on the Fox network hip-hop drama Empire, was previously charged in a single-count criminal complaint with lying to police about a supposed racist and homophobic attack on January 29 by supporters of US President Donald Trump.

A spokeswoman for Smollett, 36, who was arrested and later released on US$100,000 bond two weeks ago in connection with the initial charge against him, did not immediately return a call or email seeking comment.
An attorney for the actor could not immediately be reached for comment.
A gay actor and a student expose liberal media bias against Trump
Local television stations reported that a Cook County grand jury charged Smollett with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly giving false accounts of an attack on him to police investigators.
At the time he was initially charged, Chicago’s police chief said that Smollett had paid two brothers to stage an assault on him, in order to boost his profile and get a pay rise.


According to previous police accounts, Smollett reported that two masked men approached him on a darkened street shouting racial and homophobic slurs, struck him in the face, doused him with an “unknown chemical substance” and wrapped a rope around his neck before they fled.
Trump blasts actor Jussie Smollett, who police say faked ‘MAGA’ hate attack
According to the account, the attackers had shouted, “This is MAGA country,” referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Smollett took himself to a hospital but was not seriously hurt, police had said.


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United States

Empire actor Jussie Smollett, accused of hoaxing hate crime to get pay rise, ‘is indicted on 16 charges’

In this February 21 file photo, actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County jail following his release in Chicago. Photo: AP

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 21: Empire actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County jail after posting bond on February 21, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Smollett has been accused with arranging a homophobic, racist attack against himself in an attempt to raise his profile because he was dissatisfied with his salary. Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Jussie Smollett and Nick Sandmann prove Donald Trump can be right about the ‘fake news media’ bias against him

Actor Jussie Smollett emerges from the Cook County Court complex. He has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report claiming he was attacked. Photo: EPA-EFE

A student from Covington Catholic High School stands in front of Native American Vietnam veteran Nathan Phillips in Washington, U.S., in this still image from a January 18, 2019 video by Kaya Taitano. Kaya Taitano/Social Media/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVE.

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2013 file photo, "60 Minutes" reporter Lara Logan takes part in a panel discussion at the Showtime Winter TCA Tour in Pasadena, Calif. CBS says it was misled by a "60 Minutes" source who claimed he was on the scene of a 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, when it turns out now that he was not there. Logan on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013 said that CBS apologizes to viewers and will issue a correction to its Oct. 27 story Sunday on "60 Minutes." (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

epa07386621 US President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a reception for National African American History Month, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 21 February 2019. Trump used the opportunity to discuss his policies on criminal justice. EPA-EFE/MICHAEL REYNOLDS

Donald Trump blasts actor Jussie Smollett, who police say faked ‘MAGA’ hate attack to boost his profile and salary

Jussie Smollett (left) in Thursday booking photo released by the Chicago Police Department. On the right is a CCTV image that Smollett had said showed his attackers – a claim police now say is false. Photos: AP

People

In this Nov. 14, 2015, photo, Jussie Smollett is shown at Macy's Lenox Square during the Sean John 2015 Fall Holiday event in Atlanta. The 36-year-old actor was charged Wednesday with making a false police report when he told authorities he was attacked last month in Chicago by two men who hurled racist, anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck. (John Amis/AP Images for Macy's)

Chicago police charge ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett with making false report about racist, homophobic attack

Jussie Smollett, a star of the TV series “Empire”, is now considered a suspect for allegedly filing a false police report about being attacked by two masked men on January 29. Photo: AP

FILE PHOTO: A still image from surveillance video, released by Chicago Police, shows what they say are two persons of interest in their investigation into an assault of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago, Illinois, U.S, January 29, 2019. Picture released January 31, 2019. Chicago Police Department/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC136A456790

The brothers, who were identified by their attorney as Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, were held for nearly 48 hours on suspicion of assaulting Jussie Smollett.

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. Photo: AP

A still image from surveillance video, released by Chicago Police, shows what they say are two persons of interest in their investigation into an assault of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett in Chicago, Illinois, U.S, January 29, 2019. Picture released January 31, 2019. Chicago Police Department/Handout via REUTERS. ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY

FILE - In this Monday, May 14, 2018 file photo, actor and singer Jussie Smollett attends the Fox Networks Group 2018 programming presentation after party at Wollman Rink in Central Park in New York. Smollett, who is black and gay, has said he was attacked by two masked men shouting racial and anti-gay slurs early Jan. 29, 2019. Chicago police said on Saturday, Feb. 16, "the trajectory of the investigation" into the reported attack on Smollett has shifted and they want to conduct another interview with the "Empire" actor. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

News

World

United States & Canada

Jussie Smollett was previously charged in a single-count of lying to police about a supposed racist and homophobic attack by supporters of Donald Trump


Jussie Smollett was previously charged in a single-count of lying to police about a supposed racist and homophobic attack by supporters of Donald Trump.


Fame and celebrity

Donald Trump

Racism and other prejudice

Crime

Empire actor Jussie Smollett, accused of hoaxing hate crime to get pay rise, ‘is indicted on 16 charges’

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Jussie Smollett was previously charged in a single-count of lying to police about a supposed racist and homophobic attack by supporters of Donald Trump

Jussie Smollett was previously charged in a single-count of lying to police about a supposed racist and homophobic attack by supporters of Donald Trump