‘NY Post’: Jussie Smollett’s neighbors reveal why they doubt his attack story

“Empire” star Jussie Smollett made headlines weeks ago after saying that he was a victim of a racial and homophobic attack in Chicago. Now, his neighbors think he is lying.

According to the actor’s reports, he was in a Subway restaurant buying some food at 2 am on January 29. While walking in an underpass between the Sheraton and Loews Chicago hotels, two men approached him shouting racial and homophobic slurs.

Smollett was talking on the phone with his music manager Brandon Moore, who told the police that he could hear the slurs, as well as the words “MAGA country,” referring to President Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again.”

The still unidentified people attacked Smollett, put a rope around his neck, poured a liquid substance believed to be bleach on him, and left the scene. The man went to the hospital but was released soon after that.

PEOPLE DON’T BELIEVE THE ATTACK WAS REAL

Even though several people have supported Smollett during such a difficult time, some others believe that the actor is lying. One of them is Agin Muhammad, a person who lives close to Smollett.

The man told the New York Post that he has lived in the neighborhood five years and that such a crime was impossible there because “half the people are gay and the other half are black.”

Another unidentified patron at a pub located a block away from where the incident took place said that it was a lie because “Chicago is the most liberal city around.” Apart from that, the man pointed out that there are cameras everywhere, so if the incident really happened, police would have caught the criminals already.

POLICE’S POINT OF VIEW

Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said that they had no reasons to doubt Smollett’s statements, adding that they needed to confirm the details, though, including the phone records to verify that he was indeed talking to Moore before the incident.

However, the actor allegedly has not given his cellphone to police to carry out the investigation claiming that he couldn’t be without his phone for several hours.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson finally pointed out that Smollett was being considered as a crime victim. If they learn that he filed a false report, though, he would be held accountable for his actions.

SMOLLETT’S CLARIFYING WHAT HAPPENED

Soon after the incident took place, Smollett addressed the incident publicly and said:

“I was bruised, but my ribs were not cracked; they were not broken. I went to the doctor immediately… I was not hospitalized. Both my doctors in L.A. and Chicago cleared me to perform but said to take care, obviously. And above all: I fought the [expletive] back.”