Gary J Sibio
21 Feb 2019
On 29 Jan 2019 Jussie Smollett claimed he was attacked by two men wearing a MAGA hat (Make America Great Again) indicating their support for Donald Trump. Smollett is a black man and a homosexual. He is an actor currently on the cast of the Fox Network’s Empire which is filmed in Chicago.
He said he was beaten, had bleach poured on his head and a noose was placed around his neck.
Initially I gave him the benefit of the doubt but there were some issues with his story that bothered me.
* It was extremely cold that night, dangerously cold. The temperature was around -20°F (-29°C). Smollett said that he was returning home from a nearby Subway sandwich shop. For him to be out in that weather was insane. Also the attackers would not be wandering around with the temperature so low. Even if they were, they would not be wearing a MAGA hat.
* Smollett was on Lower Wacker Drive when the attack took place. Lower Wacker Drive runs underneath other streets at the basement level of the buildings. It is not a pleasant place nor is it particularly safe. There was no good reason for Smollett to be there. He could easily have gotten to his home staying above ground.
* Smollett walked past the doorman of his building but the man did not smell any bleach on Smollett.
* Smollett originally refused to let the police examine his phone. (Smollett says he was on the phone when the attack took place.) When he finally turned over his phone records, it was heavily redacted. He was hiding something.
* Smollett said that the attackers yelled “This is MAGA country.” Donald Trump only got 12.5% of the vote in Chicago in the 2016. It is hardly MAGA country. The area where the incident took place is a very liberal area, definitely not MAGA country. By bringing in the MAGA hat, he played to the common belief that all Trump supporters are evil, further dividing the country.
* Despite the multiple problems in his story, Smollett claimed that the only reason anyone would doubt his story is that they were a racist or a homophobe or both. He was trying to shame people into believing him instead of convincing them with facts.
After several weeks of investigation the Chicago Police Department determined that the incident was a hoax and Smollett has now admitted that both this hoax and an earlier hoax involving a letter containing a white powder were done because he was upset that he was only being paid $20,000 per episode of Empire in which he appeared. I don’t think too many people are going to feel sorry for him.
While the fraud involving the attack is a local felony, his use of the US mail for the powdered substance fraud is a federal felony and people have received a 20 year sentence for similar acts.
However, that is not the worst of it:
* There are a lot of murders in Chicago and each murder is assigned two detectives to investigate. Only one out of every six murders are solved. Twelve detectives, as many as six murders, were assigned to tracking down the men who Smollett claimed attacked him.
* What if the police had arrested someone in this case. Smollett would have had to lie, say they were guilty and have them sent to prison just because of his ego.
Needless to say, Chicagoans are upset. They want the book thrown at Smollett. What do you think?
Text © Gary J. Sibio. All rights reserved.
Clip art is in the public domain.
#Chicago #Illinois #crime #racism #homophobia #entertainment #hoax #hoaxes
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Do you believe that Jussie Smollett should be prosecuted?
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Yes
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No
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Thanks for bringing it up. I think he is a stupid man and guilty of wasting police time.
When I was a kid there was a cartoon character named Foghorn Leghorn. He used to say “That boy is about as sharp as a bagful of wet mice.”
I agree with your statement that this is not how America is supposed to work. It is just a sad, sad story in so many ways.
If he had just admitted that it was a fraud when he got caught I would be sympathetic towards him. Sadly he decided to continue trying to get away with it.
CORRECTION: In the article I stated that Smollett was earning $20,000 per episode of Empire. That figure was based on news reports I had heard. It seems that he actually makes much more… as much as $100,000 per episode.
Also, there are two more episodes to film for this season. He was originally supposed to appear in both episodes and the last episode was going to feature him singing. As of Feb 21st, he has been removed from both episodes.
He messed up in so many ways.
I love that he paid for the two guys’ help with a check. This is not a criminal mastermind.
I know, it’s like going to Lowe’s to buy a shovel, gloves and bleach… all caught on security cameras.
The store they went to is not very far from where I live. 🙂
According to You Tube personality Zachary K Hubbard he says that Black celebrities if they want to climb the ladder of iconic celebrities, their handlers make them get in trouble on purpose just to keep the pot boiling with a potential race war.
What I have seen on the internet news is that anyone wearing a M A G A (Making Ancon Great Again okay it is my city of birth in Panama when it was a Canal Zone area) is as welcome as anyone wearing a Captain America tee shirt on a street in Panama City Panama after Operation Just Cause in 1989. You would be beaten within an inch of your life and called an invader or Yankee,
I don’t think what Hubbard said is true about all black personalities. There are plenty who don’t do stuff like that. It might be the case with a lot of the gangster rappers but I don’t see it helping actors.
This week there has been one kid who got punched in the face for wearing a MAGA hat on a college campus and another man who had a handgun placed at his head. This is not the way America is supposed to work.
Not all Black actors are gangsters or evil monsters. What gets me to scratch my head is that Smollett did not make enough money being on Empire. Come on man, police officers and teachers would love to make the money Jussie makes being an actor.
Police and teachers deserve the pay of an actor or football players.
It’s ridiculous what some of these guys get payed. Police and firemen deserve a lot more than they get. Teachers I’m mixed on. There are some good teachers and they should be well rewarded. Sadly there are many who are just killing time waiting to retire. I’m actually an advocate of homeschooling.
I’ve known a few people who made that kind of money and one thing they all had in common was that they thought they deserved more. They were not particularly happy people either.
That is so true that some people are never happy with the material things that they earned with their sweat, blood and tears.
I think he should be held accountable. I believe he also sent himself the letter with crushed up aspirin. I am fairly certain with his privilege he will get off fairly easy. He will have a great lawyer and a doctor to say he has issues that made him do it (this is my best guess.)
He didn’t do anything great to help the cause of stopping tensions. In fact, he probably stepped it up a notch. It is amazing what some people are willing to do for attention.
Smollett now admits that he sent himself the letter.
You are absolutely correct. His actions have just caused more division. It also makes it harder for people who are truly victims to be believed.
When I heard about the attack, I believed it. I really did. I believed him. As time passed, I really didn’t want the attack to be a fabrication.
I now realise that Smollet is not who I thought I was. I feel as if I’ve been played, tricked, used, and I prob. won’t watch Empire any more, whether or not he is on it.
I’ve never seen the show so I had no idea who he was. I gave him the benefit of the doubt at first but I also felt that he needed to provide a better picture of what happened. The longer it went without those answers, the more doubtful I became.
It is funny, like Cosby he had this ‘image’ so you want to say; nah, not Jussie!
That may have made him think that he could easily get away with the hoax.
I don’t know how he thinks; if he does… for his career is over.
Absolutely, he should be treated like any other criminal.
Exactly. No special treatment because he’s a celebrity, even a minor one.
Not at all. But time will tell. Other actors have done things and then before you know it, you see them in a movie.
I have no problem with people being rich and famous but, if they break a law, I have a big problem with them getting away with it. Not that there is anything I can do about it.
I feel the same, doesn’t matter your status, if you break the law, you should pay the price.