Jussie Smollett reportedly cut from ‘Empire’ episodes as police investigation continues
Jussie Smollett has reportedly been cut out of the next few episodes of "Empire" until his court case is resolved.
Now that the Chicago Police Department is investigating the alleged hate crime from two different angles, the producers of Jussie's TV show "Empire" has decided to write him off of the next few episodes for him to focus on the court cases he is currently dealing with.
Sources have confirmed that Fox has indeed cut off any scenes with Jussie in them. Moreover, now that the rest of the cast has resumed filming the rest of the season, it seems Smollett will not be a part of that crew anytime soon, as Fox has decided to let him deal with his current issues first.
Recently, Smollett has become the subject of inquiry for the Chicago PD after the two "persons of interest" for the crime revealed that it was actually the actor himself who staged the whole ordeal. After these revelations were verified, Jussie Smollett was arrested and is currently in the custody of the police department.
Earlier today, Jussie Smollett was under arrest for a class 4 felony charge for disorderly conduct in falsifying a police report, which may result in three years in prison. However, the actor also had a Bond Hearing scheduled, which would determine whether or not he would be allowed to post bail in exchange for his temporary freedom.
Case Update: Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony). Detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury. pic.twitter.com/FhDcbBKsuU
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 20, 2019
THE ALLEGED ASSAULT
On the last week of January, Smollett arrived in Chicago after a redeye flight from New York. Getting hungry in the wee hours of the morning, he decided to walk to a nearby Subway branch near his apartment.
However, just a couple of blocks away from his home, he was attacked by two masked men who allegedly hurled racist and homophobic slurs at him. He claims that they also beat him up, hung a rope around his neck, and poured an unknown substance on him. In the end, he said that the assailants screamed "This is MAGA country!" as they left.
Felony criminal charges have been approved by @CookCountySAO against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report. Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest. pic.twitter.com/LvBSYE2kVj
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 21, 2019
Once the suspects had left, Smollett ran back to his home where he called the police and waited for them to arrive for him to give his statement. He then rushed himself to the hospital for his wounds to be treated, and he was released shortly after.
UPDATE: Chicago Police Detectives take #Empire actor #JussieSmollett into custody to face Class 4 Felony charge (punishable for up to 3yrs in prison) for Disorderly Conduct in Falsifying Police report. Bond Hearing scheduled for 1:30p in Cook County Criminal Court.#ChicagoPolice
— Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) February 21, 2019
With the news emerging about his alleged falsification of police reports, Smollett might face up to three years in prison if he is proven guilty. He has refused to comment on the current situation of his case and remains in police custody.