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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.Actor Smollett staged 'hate crime' hoax to advance career: Chicago police
By Karen Pierog and Suzannah Gonzales CHICAGO©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
56 Comments
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OssanAmerica
What a POS. I guess he couldn't care less about the real victims of such crimes. And his motive was dissatisfaction with his salary. Pretty self centered.
SuperLib
These hoax idiots always get exposed. He will get what he deserves.
Vernon Watts
This guy admitted he did it in part because he was dissatisfied with his yearly $1 million dollar salary. Just wait until he goes to prison -- don't drop the soap in the shower!!
cla68
This is what can happen when the demand for racism is greater than the supply.
SimondB
Actor Smollett staged 'hate crime' hoax to advance career
Didn't quite work out as planned. Said career now over.
onedragon
The dumbest criminal alive! Pays with a check for starters. lol
CrazyJoe
If it is proven that he lied about the attack, then great damage will have been done to those who bravely come forward with real experiences of hatred and harassment.
kabukideath
Between the Covington Catholic school video and now Smollett, the media has done Trump a favor: they have shown how truly irresponsible, and biased they have become while disregarding any journalistic standards. Yes, Virginia, fake news exists.
Secondly, all Smollett is being charged with is filing a false police report. He needs to be charged with a hate crime.
Madden
Who the hell pays for this with a check, one of the easiest traceable payment methods?
zones2surf
Real hate crimes do occur. Just as real sexual assault / rape crimes do occur.
Unfortunately, there have been too many fake hate crimes. Just as there have been too many false accusations of sexual assault / rape.
Hate-based crimes are despicable, as are sexual assault / rape crimes. And anyone guilty of them should be dealt with harshly.
However, given the seriousness of these crimes, anyone that turns around and falsely alleges such a crime should equally bear the full force of the law!
I'm sorry, but Smollett deserves to be punished harshly for what he did.
Real victims of these crimes need to be believed when they allege such a crime and scum like Smollett undermine this!
Wc62six
“The Smollett case has become a sensation in the United States as it tapped in to increasingly heated political divisions since the election of Trump in November 2016.“
Because the democrats thought Obama’s buddy, Hillary, had the election in the bag. Boy were they wrong. They’re just sore losers.
“Smollett had said two apparent Trump supporters struck him and put a noose round his neck while shouting "This is MAGA country,"
Another lie. Just like how mainstream media said MAGA teenager provoked that Indian beating the drum in his face. The boy did absolutely nothing wrong.
theFu
Smollett is a racist and should be fired.
Actions have repercussions.
And he should be taken to court for falsely reporting a hate crime.
Raw Beer
There is a long list of fake hate crimes, this is nothing new. High time to set an example.
Kestrel
He made between $65000 and $100000 per show but according to chicago police chief was dissatisfied with his salary. He envisaged being idolized as a victim, book deals, his own talk show etc etc.
He didnt care at all about the racial violence that may have broken out in the wake of his “attack” by white MAGA Trump supporters.
Hes always been a fake.
Greed.
arrestpaul
Smollett is an actor. Actors make their living by pretending to be someone else. They read their lines, and they practice making the appropriate facial expressions. In other words, they are professional liars. Smollett sent a threatening letter, including some white powder, to himself, addressed to the studio where he worked. When that didn't generate the level of attention that Smollett craved, Smollett created (wrote and produced?) a fake attack (street theater) on location in Chicago. Unfortunately for Smollett, the Chicago police aren't as stupid as the writers, and actors, Smollett usually works with. At the state level, Smollett is facing 1 to 3 years in prison for filing a false police report, and he's facing up to 10 years for sending threatening letters thru the U.S. mail, on a federal level.
Wolfpack
Given that Dems refused to give Kavanaugh the benefit of the doubt, I think Dems should expect Republicans to give the fake hate crime actor - who blamed the crime on Trump voters - to get the same in return. Unfortunately for the Left, Smolletts crime occurred last week - not in the 1980’s, and there are actual witnesses, video footage, and evidence of this arch Left wing activists criminal activity.
Anonymous
Do racists of any color ever apologize? Being racist means NEVER having to apologize.
Texas A&M Aggie
AnonymousToday 10:59 am JST
There’s talk of Smollett evading jail by doing community service.
Perhaps for the hoax attack portion of this saga, but the original mailing of a threatening letter to the TV show's office complete with ground up aspiring to make it look like it was anthrax -- that set the subsequent series of events into motion -- is an entirely different and far more serious issue. Using the USPS for such a purpose is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The police superintendent alluded to that issue in the press conference. The Feds take that kind of stuff very seriously. Bottom line: The actor is far from being out of the woods.
onedragon
He is back at work today. Just think, many will still be believe that Fox is conservative.
Kestrel
Smollet is a real piece of work. He was quite prepared to sign a complaint (and get innocent people into trouble for a "crime" he knew was fake) until he found the suspects the police had nabbed were his two accomplices in crime. A hateful person.
JenniSchiebel
I don't think he did it just to advance his career. He also did it to demonize people who support a political figure who he opposes. He is not the first in the U.S. to do this, and he probably won't be the last.
Kestrel
Jussie's a complete fake.
Blacklabel
Apologized to his TV show.....then kept lying. No apology to the American people?
https://edition-m.cnn.com/2019/02/22/entertainment/jussie-smollett-empire-meeting/index.html
Texas A&M Aggie
WhatsnextToday 03:01 pm JST
This guy gets $65,000 per episode. Do you really believe he did this for a pay raise?
I, for one, do not. Consider the following: Harris and Booker are trying to separate themselves from the crowded clown car of democrat presidential contenders by co-sponsoring an anti-lynching law (I believe a similar law is already on the books. It's called murder); it seems mighty coincidental this "attack" took place the day after the bill was introduced. Now, factor in two additional things: 1.) the actor at the center of this hoax was in attendance at Harris' presidential launch and 2.) Booker is dating the actor's sister. There is much more to this saga than what the public is now being told.
Stay tuned.
mmwkdw
Hate Crime is abhorrent if personally physically directed at an individual and dealt with according to the Laws of the Land.
Faking being on the receiving end is, especially if you have identified an individual, the same as giving it, and should be met with the same Punishment.
Wolfpack
If Smollett were white and he pulled a similar stunt under a black president he would be facing a hate crime charge along with filing a false police report. Apparently discrimination is in fact legal in America if the victim is a particular color.
bass4funk
You hear the end of it from Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon.
Texas A&M Aggie
We dodged a huge bullet because the actor choreographed his hoax attack out of the range of a street CCTV lens. If he had been able to get his "assault" by a pair of white MAGA hat-wearing perpetrators (his initial claim to the CPD and in the GMA interview) on video, it would have been played on an endless loop by the MSM. Considering their demonstrated hatred of President Trump and his supporters, it would have ignited a race war, ala Rodney King in the 1990s, across the country.
Anonymous
There’s talk of Smollett evading jail by doing community service. Okay. Have him sweep sidewalks in small central Illinois Farmer City, definitely a community. People there might not even watch “Empire”. Some may think that starving him of attention is cruel or unusual punishment. His presence there might be punishment for those folks. (I spent a little time there.)
ToshiYori
That Coast Guard officer also wrote that he was "dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth," and pondering how he might be able to acquire anthrax and toxins to create botulism or a deadly influenza. While he may have named prominent Democratic officials, he wanted to kill a lot more than just Democrats.
bass4funk
Ahhh...But the Democrats are hardworking, right? Coulter would disagree with you. ROFL!
...she never lies...
Stoked the flames of racism, took advantage of his own race, falsifying a police report and sending a threatening racist mail back to himself, so now he got the Feds involved, he used the pain of Blacks and used it to make it personal and attack Whites damaged the reputation of the gay community and conservatives, the guy is a loser of the worst ever.
Yeah, the idiot was “planning” a murder, didn’t kill someone, so what do we have here weapons violations and trying to prove a possible “intent.” Good that they got this idiot before he could do damage, but how about Smollett? Now that he’s looking at felony charges and might go down as the most selfish loathsome idiot for lying and causing pain to a lot of people as per the Police Super intendent.
Well, the Democrats they have all the radical Antifa, the racists (see VA) that’s more power and clout than anyone could ever imagine and that doesn’t bother you? You don’t feel anything that Democrats just run their mouths, but do nothing on the border?
Kestrel
Jenni, I agree. But his liberal/progressive thing is just an act. Hes always been about the money. Like a lot of Hollywood types part of his act is being a "Democrat".
Kestrel
@Strangerland, It was doubtful from the very start. And plenty of people posted their doubts on various sites, this one included. Nothing to do with dark souls, everything to do with common sense.
Serrano
Here's Nancy Pelosi's now deleted tweet:
“The racist, homophobic attack on @JussieSmollett is an affront to our humanity. No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love. I pray that Jussie has a speedy recovery & that justice is served. May we all commit to ending this hate once & for all.”
bass4funk
I wonder if this racist now will admit to what he did and apologize for smearing an entire race and trying to incite a race war. Racial tensions are already high and this guy had the nerve to do this outrageous nonsense? The guy is trash, I hope Fox fires him soon. I agree 100% with the police chief, you just have to shake your head in astonishment as to what was in this guys head. He played the victim, but was all along the thug and luckily the cops didn’t run to judgement on this, but his story did sound a bit fishy. I mean, Chicago isn’t exactly MAGA country, that was the first suspicious sign.
arrestpaul
The racist Smollett could get up to three years for making a false police report. That's a state charge.
The racist Smollett could get 4x as many years for sending a threatening letter through the U.S. postal service. That's a federal charge.
Blacklabel
I personally want to know whose phone numbers he deleted before turning over the records to the police.
And why he did so.
Kestrel
Jussie Smollet's motivation: It was all about the benjamins baby!
Kestrel
THere could indeed be a tie-in, as Tex suggests.
Jtsnose
There is a danger that such a hoax may result in real crimes of the same nature . . . as in the story "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolf'"
oyatoi
Newthink Leftist orthodoxy: Race does not exist and is nothing more than a social construct; but we must spare no effort in defeating this phantom.
bass4funk
That’s an understatement.
The interesting thing, he just insulted his own race and a race of people that helped put Obama in office twice that have voted for this President. The guy is a lunatic. He seriously needs help.
Usually, I don’t agree with you on anything, but I would tend to agree on this point, this is also a big story, if true.
Without a shred of evidence to support that claim. If he’s a racist then the Democrats are the the pinnacle and the true symbol of true bonified racism.
bass4funk
Democrats?
Thank you, FOX should disassociate itself from this racist.
This is who he wrote he would kill; Prosecutors alleged in court documents filed Wednesday that Hasson had compiled a spreadsheet of so-called "traitors" that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and presidential hopefuls including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Also mentioned were such figures as MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones.
Notice a trend there?
Yes, he’s an idiot, so what about this Black racist Hollywood elite and where are all of his supporters? The guy makes “125K per episode” and he had the audacity to whine about his salary??? The guy needs to lose his job. So now that’s 2 Blacks and 2 Whites that are racist, want infanticide and liars and the Democrats are crammed with socialist Marxists. Not sure if the party can survive in its current form. Why is it liberals smear everyone else as racists, but refuse to acknowledge their own deep embedded racism?
So what does Democrats the tone for the grievous sins? Will they give a formal apology to every White person for slamming an entire race?
As well as the Democrats.
Texas A&M Aggie
This actor will soon be the star of a new reality show, "The Prison Wives of Joliet".
arrestpaul
Pelosi, along with many fellow Democrats, and the usual biased media-types, couldn't wait for the facts to be uncovered before they chose to blame Trump for anything, and everything. As usual. Pelosi, her fellow Democrats, and many in the news media, can not be trusted to tell the truth when a lie will serve them better.
Smollett planned, and carried out, this street theater, and that makes Smollett a racist. Smollett sent a threatening letter, complete with a white powder, thru the U.S. mail in order to terrorize the studio he worked for. That makes Smollett a terrorist.
lincolnman
An idiot who exercised very poor judgement, and as a result, has his face smacked around and will no doubt suffer additional consequences; and Trump said this;
“@JussieSmollett - what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #MAGA”
In the other days news, we had the Coast Guard officer who had an arsenal in his basement and planned a domestic terror attack to kill Democratic politicians and members of the media...and Trump says......nothing......
Maybe because he was a MAGA hat-wearing avowed white supremacist?
https://www.wsj.com/articles/coast-guard-officer-accused-of-planning-terror-attack-amassed-an-arsenal-11550789657
This President is nothing but an utter disgrace...pandering again to his KKK and white supramacist supporters - maybe he'll come out and say "he's good people".....
JapanFan
he goes to prison -- don't drop the soap in the shower!! Will he be the dropper or the dropee??
Whatsnext
This guy gets $65,000 per episode. Do you really believe he did this for a pay raise?
plasticmonkey
And this one. I find no evidence for it.
lincolnman
I used idiot in deference to Ann Coulter....
He's certainly needs help, but per below, he didn't swear out a hit list and have a basement armory full of weapons ready to kill...
Glad we agree that Trump's silence is inexcusable...
This is who he wrote he would kill; Prosecutors alleged in court documents filed Wednesday that Hasson had compiled a spreadsheet of so-called "traitors" that included House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and presidential hopefuls including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Also mentioned were such figures as MSNBC's Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN's Chris Cuomo and Van Jones.
Notice a trend there?
This is what hate speech leads to - when you call people "UnAmerican" or "an enemy of the people"...
Some will take that literally - Trump needs to shut his mouth and Twitter and stop inciting violence...
nishikat
Coulter thinks Trump is a lightweight wimp for signing the border bill.
plasticmonkey
Please provide evidence for this claim as well.
lincolnman
Nope, the "Idiot" in the Oval office...who's also lazy and incompetent - accordng to Ann...and remember, you said she never lies...
One lied and got beat up, the other was planning mass murder - pretty different don't you think?
A white supremacist Trump supporting nut is able to get more weapons than some arms rooms I've seen in my 27 year military career - and was planning a domestic terrorist incident worse than Oklahoma City, yet there's a national emergency on our border?
Dodge - "what about..." This issue is about Trump and his hate speech - which drove this nut to do this...
Whether its encouraging his supporters at rallies to engage in violence ("punch him, I'll pay your legal fees"), to "some are good people, on both sides", Trump incites violence - and should be held directly responsible and accountable when it occurs.
Thank you for agreeing with me....
Toasted Heretic
What Smollett has done is a disgrace and one wonders at the mentality of someone who would perpetrate such a lie.
That said, all the posts advocating prison rape and sexual servitude are disgusting.
Kurt vonMeding
Please understand that Fox is bigger than its conservative outlet. If you want to have a real say, contact Disney. I understand, that they now own the production company responsible for his show. Since it remains unclear if he will ultimately profit from blatant racism and hoax. Might not be any worse than the self inflicted(alledgedly) scratches.
Call "Mickey" to let them know what you feel about this