Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Actor and activist Jussie Smollett. Photo: Gary Gershoff/WireImage
"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett has been charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony, weeks after he reported he was the victim of a hate crime, Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Thursday evening.
The details: "Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest," Guglielmi tweeted. Smollett, who's black and gay, told police on Jan. 29 that he was attacked in Chicago by two people who yelled homophobic and racist slurs. But in recent days, the case took a strange turn amid reports that detectives were considering whether the attack was a hoax.
Detectives have released two men — brothers who know Smollett — after identifying them as potential suspects last week. Investigators have also discovered that the men purchased the rope that was used in the alleged attack.
- Per ABC 7 Chicago, Smollett is due in court for a bond hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in Chicago.
Smollett’s attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson released a statement Wednesday night:
"Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and mount and aggressive defense."