Jussie Smollet indicted on 6 new counts of criminal disorderly conduct

Kadence Perkins

Actor Jussie Smollet, best known for his work on the FOX show Empire has been indicted on six new criminal charges following the dropping of all charges against him in last year’s trial. Last January, the actor filed a police report claiming himself to be the victim of a heinous attack by two men, who had allegedly bought rope and shouted “This is MAGA country, n***er,” sought out Smollett, called him racial and homophobic slurs, and beat him. Smollett even alleged that they had fashioned a noose and tied it around his neck. 

Smollett at the 2017 BET Awards.

The actor was given considerable media attention and an outcry of support poured out from many, both Hollywood stars and everyday people alike. Police then started to doubt his version of events due to supposed inconsistencies in camera footage and, before long, Smollett found himself on the side of facing charges. Before long, alleged hate crime and subsequent charges against Smollett made this the most high-profile case of its time, with almost every news outlet covering it extensively, from FOX to MSNBC. 

However, a spell of confusion came over people when the charges against Smollett were dropped almost instantly—and seemingly without any explanation. This led to outrage from police and Trump supporters alike, as the supposedly falsified charges named Trump supporters as the aggressors and seemingly listed police as complicit in these crimes due to not having found suspects.

Special Prosecutor Dan K. Webb.

Based on the recommendation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), a Cook County grand jury hit hard with a six-count indictment which charges Smollet with making four false reports to the Chicago Police Department related to false claims that he was the victim of a racist and homophobia-charged hate crime in January 2019, knowing very well he was never the victim of any crime. The City of Chicago has sued Jussie Smollett for $130,000 for overtime costs paid to the officers who worked his case.

The actor has not had any notable film or television appearances announced since his dismissal from Empire and producers of the hit FOX show have said they have no plans of bringing his character, Jamal Lyon, back on the show.