Fallen Empire star now in the hot seat as the mastermind behind his own a*ttack
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 28: Jussie Smollett attends the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 60th Anniversary Opening Night Gala Benefit at New York City Center on November 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
It’s official. Actor Jussie Smollett on Wednesday is now considered a s*uspect in the i*nvestigation regarding his alleged a*ssault that took place in the early hours in Chicago on Jan. 29th.
Chicago p*olice spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi wrote on Twitter:
Case Update: Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a s*uspect in a c*riminal i*nvestigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false p*olice report (Class 4 felony). D*etectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand J*ury.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Empire star’s representatives declined to comment.
This news comes just a day after Guglielmi released a statement Tuesday dismissing a tip that was received revealing that Smollett and the accomplices were in an elevator in the building on the same night of the a*ttack since it did not support video evidence.
Since the i*ncident, i*nvestigators have gone through hundreds of hours of surveillance video from where the entertainer said he was a*ttack, but they have not found footage of him being a*ssaulted.
Two men were identified as s*uspects, Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo were questioned last week, and based on the information that was provided by them to Guglielmi, it has “shifted the trajectory of the i*nvestigation.”
An increasing number of reports are leading to the belief that the alleged a*ttack was a hoax, but Smollett’s lawyers said the actor is angry at those claims. He feels “v*ictimized” by reports that he was involved in setting up in the a*ttack.
“Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying,” attorneys representing Smollett from Pugh and Henderson said in a statement Saturday.
Spokeswoman for Smollett’s lawyers, Anne Kavanagh said that the actor is “keeping an active dialogue with Chicago p*olice on his behalf.”
On Tuesday, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, and Chicago’s top p*rosecutor recused herself from the in*vestigation. This also comes as surveillance video of the two brothers has been made public by TMZ, showing the Osundario brothers purchasing ski masks, red hats and other items from a local store that were allegedly used in the staged a*ttack. Watch the video below:
BREAKING: @ABC7Chicago obtains surveillance video that appears to show brothers involved in Smollett investigation leaving a Chicago store after buying items allegedly used in staged a*ttack on Jussie Smollett. pic.twitter.com/YfKDDHuIpa
— Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 20, 2019