Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with the Axios AM and PM newsletters. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to the Axios Closer newsletter for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter.
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with the Axios Sports newsletter. 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 the Axios Des Moines newsletter.
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 the Axios Tampa Bay newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Actor Jussie Smollett in the court the day all charges were dropped against him. Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/AFP/Getty Images
Charges against "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett were abruptly dropped last month for filing a false police report.
Background: Smollett claimed to be the victim of a hate crime in January when 2 men violently attacked him. He was charged with filing false police reports and planning the attack in an attempt to save his character from being written off the "Empire."
Timeline:
Jan. 18: Smollett received an envelope with "MAGA" written on it, and a letter with racist and homophobic language inside, reports the Chicago Tribune.
Jan. 29: A week later, Smollett was attacked by 2 men who threw a noose around his neck and allegedly poured bleach on him, CNN reports. He filed a police report that day. Smollett received national attention and sympathy including from President Trump, per Billboard.
Feb. 12: Smollett provides the police with redacted phone records amid rumors that he filed a false police report, reports NBC Chicago.
Feb. 15: Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the 2 suspects, Nigerian brothers, are in custody, but they are released from police custody the same day, AP reports.
Feb. 16: The focus of the case shifted from the 2 brothers to Smollett, according to AP.
Feb. 20: Police charge Smollett with falsifying a police report and disorderly conduct. Smollett allegedly paid the 2 brothers $3,500 to stage the attack.
Feb. 22: It is announced that Smollett's character will be written off from the show "Empire," per CNN.
March 9: A Chicago grand jury indicts Smollett on 16 felony counts "related to making a false report", per the AP.
March 26: All charges against Smollett are dropped by prosecutors. Assistant state's attorney Joseph Magats told the New York Time's Julie Bosman that they need to "prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime."
March 28: Smollett receives a letter from the city of Chicago’s legal department requesting more than $130,000 for "overtime hours in the investigation" of his reported attack.
"Do I think justice was served? No ... I think this city is still owed an apology."— Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson
April 4: Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police and the suburban police chief associations gave Cook County State's Attorney Kimberly Foxx a "no confidence" vote and demanded her resignation over her office's handing of the case.
- The city's Law Department said it will file a civil suit "in the near future" against Smollett for refusing to reimburse the $130,000 to cover the cost of the probe.
April 11: The city of Chicago files a civil complaint against Smollett as a result of Smollett's refusal to reimburse the city for the cost of the investigation, perWGC9.
June 21: A Cook County judge appointed a special prosecutor to re-investigate the circumstances of Smollett's alleged attack, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Go Deeper: How Chicago police cracked the Jussie Smollett case