The saga of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett came to an inglorious end at 5 a.m. CT on Thursday when the actor was taken into custody by Chicago police for allegedly filing a false report. The arrest follows a nearly month-long odyssey that began with news reports indicating that Smollett, who is black and gay, was attacked by two men, one of them masked, on a Chicago street in the small hours of January 29. “He alleged they yelled racist and homophobic slurs, tied a rope around his neck and poured an unknown substance on him.”
In addition to the sworn statement by Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, the two brothers he hired to stage the attack, police have recovered security camera video of the men purchasing the mask and more, reportedly at Smollett’s instructions.
Watching Jussie Smollett's hoax "attackers" buy the black knit face masks, gloves, rope, etc…
Do you think the store clerk asked what they were gonna do with an "I'm obviously going to commit a crime" starter pack? pic.twitter.com/y03xroBVIm
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) February 21, 2019
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
In their statement, the men, who were originally treated as suspects, also affirmed, as a means of setting themselves apart from Smollett:
We are not racist. We are not homophobic, and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens.
When the story of the alleged attack first broke, headlines like the one above this article appeared in editorials that lamented the pernicious influence Donald Trump’s bigotry has had on the nation. Many claimed that Trump’s now-infamous campaign slogan was code for “Make America White Again.”
Celebrities took to Twitter to denounce Trump’s racism and “homophobia,” which they insisted fueled the attack:
Jussie Smollett,’Empire' Actor, Reportedly Attacked In Possible Hate Crime.NPR. VILLAINY, RACISM,HOMOPHOBIA, PROMOTED BY MOST INFAMOUS ????IN ????,IS THE POISON THAT KILLS????????.WHITE ONLY IS NOT RIGHT.???????? IS PPL OF COLOR.????????GOP GOES DOWN WITH SHIP djt
https://t.co/egSweOPhlO— Cher (@cher) January 30, 2019
Jussie Smollett was violently attacked by two white men who poured bleach on him and put a noose around his neck. He was targeted for being black and for being gay. THIS is why we have to have zero tolerance against homophobia and racism. Jussie’s life matters.
— Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) January 29, 2019
Some, like liberal comedian and actor Billy Eichner, extended their ill wishes to Trump supporters:
Any suggestion that this might be another hoax or a rush to judgment was met with haughty rancor.
So now that the other shoe has finally dropped, what have we as a nation learned? I say we have learned absolutely nothing. The Left has become so invested in hating that many are dejected that the Smollett attack turned out to be fake. The Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart said Monday that people “want to believe” Jussie Smollett because his tale has been “a reality for a lot of people” since President Trump took office, adding that the “atmosphere of hate” around the country made Smollett’s story believable. Never mind that evidence of this “reality” is always the most recent Smollett fantasy or that the “atmosphere of hate” is a product of the liberal mind.
Get ready for the fire next time.
