Jussie Smollett found guilty of staging attack, will appeal verdict

Actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty on Thursday of making a false report to Chicago police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019, per the Washington Post.

The big picture: The 39-year-old former "Empire" star, who is Black and gay, reported to police that he was the victim of a hate crime when two men violently attacked him. Prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a hoax attack on himself. An attorney for Smollett said after the verdict he's "100% innocent" and would file an appeal, per AP.