I posted a couple of comments saying Smollett may be suspended and/or kept in the storyline of Empire.Originally Posted by RBP
I don't have time today but if anyone can find find anyone still backing this retard, please post it.
I know it's silly but the fact that he paid them with a check will have me laughing all day.A check. Jesus.
They came up when I googled something like Empire actor fallout. I didn't go to the sites or keep track.
by Patrick Hipes - Deadline
TNT will not air a planned March 6 episode of its celeb rap-battle series Drop the Mic that featured Jussie Smollett, the Empire star who was arrested this morning and charged with felony counts for his part in faking that he was attacked last month in Chicago.
The episode features Smollett facing off against American Idol alum Clay Aiken. Drop the Mic executive producer Jensen Carp noted the episode’s postponement Thursday on Twitter:
Said a TNT spokesperson: “We are pulling the episode in the interest of not being exploitative of an incredibly sensitive situation. We are holding on airing his episode for now and we are replacing it with the Raven Simon vs Ron Funches and Joey McIntyre vs Joey Fatone episode.”
Smollett is set for a bail bond hearing today in Chicago after police arrested him this morning, saying the actor staged the January 29 assault hoax because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” and to promote his career, according to a self-described “angry” and “offended” Chicago Supt. Eddie Johnson.
Johnson said Smollett paid siblings Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo $3,500 to participate in the phony attack, with an additional $500 promised upon completion. Police are now treating the brothers as witnesses.
Fox’s Empire, meanwhile, continues filming Season 5 in Chicago. The network and studio 20th Century Fox TV, which had stood behind Smollett in the wake of the attack, said today that they “are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options” about his future on the show.
Smollett stars as Jamal Lyon on Empire, which earlier this week scrapped shooting scenes involving his character as the police investigation unfolded.
by Dominic Patten - Deadline
BREAKING: Just a couple of hours before Jussie Smollett faces a Chicago judge on the criminal charges he was indicted for Wednesday related to the alleged racist and homophobic attack of late last month, Fox has started walking back its once-firm support of the actor.
“We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process,” 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment said of the Empire star this morning. “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”
With those potentially ominous last three words, production on the final episodes of the current season of Empire continues Thursday in the Windy City wihtout the actor who plays the openly gay Jamal Lyon on the Fox show.
Although Fox and Smollett’s agency UTA are sticking by the actor for now, there has been talk, as Deadline reported on February 20, of suspending him from Empire as the felony case goes to the courts. That talk could be turning to a more permanent conclusion as the broadcaster evaluates the fallout from what is a PR disaster, to put it mildly.
Fox’s tempered statement comes after the actor surrendered to authorities in the pre-dawn hours. The remarks from Fox TV and Fox Entertainment also follow a scathing press conference by CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson that accused Smollett of staging the January 29 attack with brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo to take “advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.”
Openly “pissed off” police also believe that Smollett falsified the police report to get an increase in his salary on Empire.
Smollett makes more than $100,000 an episode for Empire after a big boost following the blockbuster first cycle of the series. Like Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard and the other leads on the show, Smollett inked a seven-season deal for Empire back in 2014.
On Wednesday, following Smollett’s remaining scenes in the last couple of episodes of Empire’s fifth season being cut or significantly trimmed back, Fox said that the performer “continues to be a consummate professional on set and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show.”
That was a step back from the strong words of being “deeply saddened and outraged” when the supposed assault occurred in the early morning of January 29 on the street near Smollett’s Chicago apartment.
The incident was originally described as an “potential hate crime” that left the openly gay Smollett beaten, drenched in bleach and with a rope slung around his neck.
Speaking on Good Morning America on February 14 in his first interview since the incident at the end of last month, Smollett said he thought the attack occurred because of his high profile criticism of Donald Trump. “I come really, really hard against 45,” the actor told GMA co-host Robin Roberts at the time. “I come really, really hard against his administration, and I don’t hold my tongue,” Smollett added of the President who called the attack on him “horrible” a couple of days after it occurred.
Previously identified as “persons of interest” in the case, the Osundairo siblings are now said to be “fully” cooperating with authorities. The duo testified for over two hours yesterday before a recently convened Grand Jury in downtown Chicago.
After Smollett was charged last night, his lawyers vowed to “conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense,” as lawyers do in these situations.
One site says Smollett was making 65000 per episode when he became unhappy with his wage. Typical season runs 18 episodes for the show. Dude was making 1,170,000 per year. I hope Walmart shipping and receiving can match that.
I wonder what the current cost of the investigation is. I definitely think he should be required to pay back every penny in addition to jail time. They need to make a very loud and public example of him.
Hal-9000 (02-21-2019), PorkChopSandwiches (02-21-2019), RBP (02-22-2019)
RBP (02-22-2019)
'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett's bond set at $100G, judge calls evidence against him 'outrageous'
By Sasha Savitsky | Fox News
Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. set "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett's bond at $100,000
The judge who set "Empire” star Jussie Smollett's bond at $100,000 gave the actor an earful after Smollett was charged Thursday with disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report.
"As you stand before me we presume you're innocent but the state read me a proffer that is outrageous. If true, the noose conjures up [the] greatest evil in this country," Cook County Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr. told Smollett.
The 36-year-old actor said little other than giving his name at the beginning of Thursday's hearing. His attorney, who said the actor denies all charges against him, asked the judge to release Smollett on his own recognizance. However, the judge said that would be inappropriate. Smollett was later released from jail after posting bond.
Following three weeks of mounting suspicions, Smollett, who is accused of filing a false police report, was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct. He turned himself in at central booking early Thursday. If convicted, he is facing up to three years in prison.
Smollett told police he was attacked by two masked men as he was walking home from a Subway sandwich shop at around 2 a.m on Jan. 29. The actor, who is black and gay, said the masked men beat him, made derogatory comments and yelled "This is MAGA country" – a reference to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again" – before fleeing.
Prosecutors said at the actor's bond hearing on Thursday that Smollett misled police and the public to believe that his attackers were white when he told police his primary attacker was wearing a ski mask that only exposed the area around his eyes, but that he could see the man had white skin.
Police said Smollett actually hired two black men to help him carry out the hoax. According to prosecutors, Smollett told the two brothers he hired to attack him to yell "MAGA country" and put a rope around his neck during the staged attack.
"He instructed them to get his attention by yelling 'Empire F--' and 'Empire n-----' [and] instructed them to give him a chance to appear to fight back," Assistant State's Attorney Risa Lanier said. Lanier said he provided them with $100 to purchase a red hat, masks and gloves.
Chicago cops laid out their case against Smollett Thursday morning, accusing the TV star of orchestrating an elaborate hoax involving two "bogus" hate crimes – one involving an alleged attack, and one involving a threatening letter – all in order to get a pay raise.
Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett orchestrated a "phony attack" in order to take "advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."
Johnson said at the news conference Thursday that Smollett also sent a racist and homophobic threatening letter to himself at the Fox studio lot before the attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary.
"I'm left hanging my head and asking why," a visibly upset Johnson told reporters. "Why would anyone, especially an African-American man, use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? How could someone look at the hatred and suffering associated with that symbol ... how can an individual who has been embraced by the city of Chicago turn around and slap everyone in this city by making this false claim?"
He added, "Bogus police reports cause real harm."
Johnson said police found the "check that [Smollett] used to pay [the brothers]" to fake the beating, adding he paid them $3,500 "for the two of them in total, and then $500 upon return."
He said the attack "was staged, the brothers had on gloves during the (air quotes) 'staged attack' where they punched him a little, but as far as we can tell, the scratching and bruising that you saw on [Smollett's] face was most likely self-inflicted.”
Johnson was also incensed at the spotlight the incident put on his town for the past three weeks.
“This is shameful because it painted this city that we all love and work hard in, in a negative connotation," he said. "To insinuate and stage a hate crime of that nature when he knew that as a celebrity he’d get a lot of attention… It’s despicable. It makes you wonder what’s going through someone’s mind.”
"As a black man, who spent his entire life living the city of Chicago, I know the racial divide that exists here. I know how hard it's been for our city and our nation to come together," he said. Johnson added that "absolute justice would be an apology to this city that he smeared ... admitting what he did and then be man enough to offer what he should offer up in terms of all the resources that were put into this."
"Empire" is shot in Chicago and follows a black family as they navigate the ups and downs of the recording industry. 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment told Fox News on Thursday, "We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process. We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options."
In less than a month, the 36-year-old changed from being the seemingly sympathetic victim of a hate crime to being accused of fabricating the entire thing.
The felony charge emerged on the same day detectives and the two brothers, who were initially viewed as suspects, testified before a grand jury. Smollett's attorneys met with prosecutors and police, but it was unknown what they discussed or whether Smollett attended the meeting.
In a statement to Fox News on Wednesday, Smollett's attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson said the actor "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." They did not provide further comment when contacted by Fox News on Thursday.
Police said the investigation shifted after they questioned the two brothers who were in the area that morning. Police said Thursday that Smollett spoke to the brothers an hour before and an hour after he says they helped the actor stage last month's attack.
Detective Commander Edward Wodnicki said at the news conference that after questioning the brothers for nearly two days last week, they were released and investigators no longer viewed them as suspects.
The brothers, who were identified by their attorney as Abimbola "Abel" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, were initially held for nearly 48 hours on suspicion of assaulting Smollett. Police said one of the men had worked on "Empire," and Smollett's attorneys said one of the men is the actor's personal trainer, whom he hired to help get him physically ready for a music video. The actor released his debut album, "Sum of My Music," last year.
Investigators said they have phone records that show there were extensive communications between Smollett and the brothers. Lanier said Thursday afternoon that one of the brothers, Abel, was a source of "designer drugs," including Molly, for the actor.
Wodnicki said the brothers testified before a grand jury before prosecutors charged Smollett on Wednesday. Smollett was charged by prosecutors, not the grand jury. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said the brothers appeared before the panel to "lock in their testimony."
Speaking outside the courthouse where the grand jury met on Wednesday, the brothers' attorney said the two men testified for about two-and-a-half hours.
"There was a point where this story needed to be told, and they manned up and they said we're going to correct this," Gloria Schmidt said.
She said her clients did not care about a plea deal or immunity. "You don't need immunity when you have the truth," she said.
She also said her clients received money from Smollett, but she did not elaborate.
Smollett has been active in LBGTQ issues, and initial reports of the assault drew outrage and support for him on social media, including from Sen. Kamala Harris of California and TV talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
But several hours after Smollett was declared a suspect and the charges announced, there was little reaction from celebrities online.
Smollett has a record, one that concerns giving false information to police when he was pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence. He later pleaded no contest to a reduced charge and took an alcohol education and treatment program.
Fox News' Matt Finn, Elizabeth Zwirz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
RBP (02-22-2019)
MSNBC guest unchecked after floating theory that Trump-supporting cops may have framed Jussie Smollett
By Brian Flood | Fox News
MSNBC finally got around to covering the scandal surrounding "Empire” star Jussie Smollett and allowed a guest to float a theory that Trump-supporting cops are lying about the case.
MSNBC completely skipped the Smollett news during primetime on Wednesday night, which was first noticed by The Daily Caller. The same night, rival liberal media news organization CNN dedicated significant time to the Chicago Police Department announcing felony charges against the actor had been approved.
Zach Stafford, the editor-in-chief of LGBTQ magazine The Advocate, joined MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt and Al Sharpton on Thursday to discuss Smollett – who faces up to three years in prison.
“It was incredibly shocking on day one to see the police department call it a racist and homophobic attack,” Stafford said. “As someone that has been investigating these for years in Chicago, that was really unprecedented… people in the background were worried they were leaning into this victim part of the story because they didn’t believe him and they wanted to use it against him at the end, when they were able to prove that he was lying.”
Stafford then criticized the fact that information about the investigation has leaked to the media.
“The police were openly confirming and not confirming certain reports and not doing it to other parts of the story, due to the vocal nature in this case, it was really peculiar,” Stafford said. “People have a lot of reason to not trust them… a deep history of openly lying to citizens. This police department did, in 2016, openly, through their union support Donald Trump.”
He said that since the case focused on alleged attackers wearing Trump hats and shouting “MAGA country,” there are grounds to question if the police are being truthful.
“Many people have felt that they have been so willing to call this a hoax, is because the central question of this case is, ‘Are Donald Trump supporters out here committing hate crimes?’ And that’s what really sparked a lot of the tension,” he said. “To have a police department that hasn’t been as cooperative as they have been this round, do not openly give information, do openly lie and mishold [sic] information in cases and then to know that they have openly supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election, a lot of activists on the ground are saying, ‘Wait, what’s going on here? "
MSNBC host Hunt did not respond to the longwinded conspiracy theory and immediately pivoted to a reporter on the ground in Chicago.
MSNBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
RBP (02-22-2019)
No one's discussing the possible federal charges of mail fraud and using the mail to send criminal and/or terroristic threats.
Warning: The posts of this forum member may contain trigger language which may be considered offensive to some.
Music was better when ugly people were allowed to make it.
RBP (02-22-2019)
Is this the costliest individual/personal fallout of TDS to date
Both the Superintendent of Chicago police and the judge handling the case are black. And I have instant respect for both men for bringing up the smaller detail about the noose being a vile symbol in American history. In my mind they have said to him using other terms - You should be ashamed for being black and attempting this sort of fraud.
lost in melb. (02-22-2019), perrhaps (02-22-2019), RBP (02-22-2019), Teh One Who Knocks (02-22-2019)
Donell Rawlings (comedian/actor from Chappelle's Show) is lighting this kid up on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/donnellrawlings/
Hal-9000 (02-22-2019)
OAN news is. They are saying he faces 10 years in prison. Everyone else is saying 3. Terroristic threats through the mail.
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