All Charges Dropped Against ‘Empire’ Star Jussie Smollett
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – DECEMBER 02: Jussie Smollett attends the Trevor Project’s TrevorLIVE LA 2018 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 3, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for The Trevor Project)
All criminal charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly faking his own assault have been dropped, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Smollett appeared at an emergency hearing Tuesday morning, where Cook County prosecutors announced that all of the 16 counts against him would be dropped.
“We believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” a prosecutor said during the announcement.
Smollett, who was indicted by a grand jury last month on 16 felony counts, will only need to surrender his $10K bond and perform community service, TMZ reports.
Smollett was accused of lying to Chicago police about an alleged January attack, where he claimed two masked men assaulted him and shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him. According to Smollett, the two men also placed a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him.
Smollett, 36, has maintained his side of the story.
“Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career,” his lawyers said in a statement, calling the police conduct “unfair and unwarranted.”
“Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him,” the statement said. “Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment.”
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