Two months afterJussie Smollettreported that he was the victim of an apparent hate crime in Chicago and one month after he was indicted on16 counts of disorderly conduct for making false reports, all charges against him have been dropped.
It’s a stunning turn in the investigation into whether Smollett, who is black and gay, orchestrated the attack on himself.
Here’s a timeline of everything we know about the case.
Jan. 29
The Chicago Police Department confirmed in a statement that anEmpireactor was involved in a“racially-charged assault and battery”at around 2 a.m. on the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street in downtown Chicago.
Smollett, who was in “good condition,” was treated at Northwestern Hospital, according to police.
In a statement, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said “the entire studio, network and production stands united in the face or any despicable act of violence and hatred — and especially against one of our own.”
The Fox show’s creator, Lee Daniels, alsospoke out about the incident, calling the actor his “son” and saying, “It’s just another f—ing day in America.”
Jan. 30
In a statement to PEOPLE, Chicago Police confirmed that Smollettremembered his attackers calling out President Donald Trump’s slogan, “MAGA,”an acronym for “Make America Great Again.”
Police added that “detectives are currently working to gather video, identify potential witnesses and establish an investigative timeline” and that Smollett was “fully cooperating with investigators.”
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi revealed that investigators hadacquired footagethat could lead to the arrests of theEmpireactor’s assailants. The police also releasedtwo photos of the persons of interest;however, the images did not show the individuals’ faces.
Jan. 31
“We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice,” they said. “Our family thanks everyone for their prayers and the huge amount of love he has received. We are thankful to our village for your immense support during this trying time. We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed.”
Tasia Wells/Getty
Feb. 1
Smollett released hisfirst public statementsince the incident.
“I am working with authorities and have been 100 percent factual and consistent on every level. Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served,” he continued. “As my family stated, these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers and non-gender conforming siblings daily. I am not and should not be looked upon as an isolated incident. We will talk soon and I will address all details of this horrific incident, but I need a moment to process. Most importantly, during times of trauma, grief and pain, there is still a responsibility to lead with love. It’s all I know. And that can’t be kicked out of me. With love, respect & honor … Jussie.”
Feb. 2
Smollett made hisfirst public appearancesince the attack, taking the stage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
“There are so many words on my heart that I want to say,” he began. “The most important that I can say, to keep it simple, thank you so much. I’m okay… I’m not fully healed yet, but I’m going to be. I’m going to stand strong with y’all.”
“I had to be here tonight,” he continued. “I couldn’t let those motherf—ers win. So I will always stand for love, I will never stand for anything other than that. Regardless of what anyone else says, I will only stand for love. I hope that you all stand with me.”
Clarifying reports about the attack, Smollett said “there has been a lot of stuff that has been said about me that is absolutely not true.”
“There are just a couple of points that I wanted to make really quick… I was bruised, but my ribs were not cracked,” he said. “I went to the doctor immediately — I was not hospitalized. Both my doctors in L.A. and Chicago cleared me to perform but said to take it easy, obviously. And, above all, I fought the f— back.”
Feb. 14
Smollett, who has sincereturned to workon the Fox show, gave hisfirst in-depth, televised interviewabout the incident toGood Morning America. After detailing what occurred and hitting back at critics who had questioned the accuracy of his account, Smollett got emotional, confessing his fears that his assailants wouldn’t be found.
“I want that [surveillance] video found so badly for four reasons,” he said. “Number one, I want them to find the people that did it. Number two, I want them to stop being able to say ‘alleged attack.’ Number three, I want them to see that I fought back. And I want a little gay boy who might watch this to see that I fought back. It does not take anything away from people who are not able to do that, but I fought back. They ran off, I didn’t.”
“Learn to fight. Learn to be a fighter,” he continued, addressing young gay men. “I am not advocating violence at all, so let’s be clear about that. If you’re going to die, fight until you do. If you don’t fight, you have no chance. I have fought for love. I’m an advocate. I respect too much the people — who I am now, one of those people — who have been attacked in any way.”
RELATED VIDEO: Jussie Smollett Breaks Down Over Fears His Apparent Hate Crime Attackers Will Never Be Found
After being asked if he’d be able to heal if his attackers were never found, Smollett broke down.
“I don’t know. Let’s just hope that they are, you know what I’m saying? Let’s not go there yet,” he said, crying.
“I was talking to a friend and I said, ‘I just want them to find them.’ And she said, ‘Sweetie, they’re not going to find them,’ ” he said. “That just made me so angry. So I’m just going to be left here like this? I’m just going to be left here? They get to go free, go about their life, and possibly attack someone else. And I’m here left with the aftermath? That’s not cool to me. That’s not okay.”
“I understand how difficult it will be to find them but we’ve got to,” he insisted. “I still want to believe, with everything that happened, that there’s something called justice.”
“The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off ofEmpireis patently ridiculous,” the network said in a statement. “He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”
At the time, Chicago PD shot down the reports, too.
Feb. 15
Two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, werereleased without chargestwo days after beingarrested.
Feb. 16
Reports emerged that the brothers claimed theEmpirestar paid them to stage the incident.
According toCBS Evening News, a police source said the brothers said Smollett paid them to participate in the incident and purchase the rope that was found around his neck.
CNNalso reported that two Chicago police sources said investigators believe Smollett paid the men in exchange for carrying out the attack, and that the men were fully cooperating with authorities.
“One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video,” the statement continued. “It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity.”
Feb. 17
Chicago PD refused to comment on the speculation that the attack was a hoax.
“While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation,” Guglielmi said in a statement released Sunday afternoon viaTwitter.
The spokesman went on to write that “detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident.”
Feb. 18
“There are no plans for Jussie Smollett to meet with Chicago police today,” said the rep. “Any news reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate. Smollett’s attorneys will keep an active dialogue going with Chicago police on his behalf. We have no further comment today.”
Feb. 21
Smollett turned himself into police and, hours later,appeared in bond court. His family sat in the courtroom as text messages between the Osundairo brothers detailing how the attack was allegedly orchestrated were read aloud.
In addition, Smollett allegedly texted that he “wanted Ola to place a rope around his neck, pour gasoline on him and yell ‘This is MAGA country,’ ” also allegedly instructing the men to purchase red baseball caps which resemble the ones that say President Donald Trump‘s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Judge John F. Lyke Jr. set Smollett’s bond at $100,000, which the actor posted. Smollett was released and asked to surrender his passport. His next hearing was scheduled for March 14.
Jussie Smollett.Matt Marton/AP/REX/Shutterstock
Hours later, Smollettreturned to the Chicago set ofEmpire.
Feb. 22
Empire‘s executive producers announced that the actor’s character Jamal Lyonwould be removedfrom the final two episodes of season 5.
“The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us,” saidLee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer.“Jussie has been an important member of our EMPIRE family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of ‘Jamal’ from the final two episodes of the season.”
March 1
Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo’s attorney released a statement to CBS Chicago, saying the brothersregretted their involvement in the scandaland apologizing to the victims of real hate crimes.
“My clients have tremendous regret over their involvement in this situation, and they understand how it has impacted people across the nation, particularly minority communities and especially those who have been victims of hate crimes themselves,” the statement read.
Abel and Ola Osundairo.Instagram
March 12
Although he was not required to attend a hearing regarding whether cameras would be allowed to film his trial, Smollettappeared in court alongside his legal team. The actor chose to attend“to show confidence in his innocence,” his representative, Anne Kavanagh, told PEOPLE, adding, “He will do everything he needs to do. He will go the extra mile to cooperate with the process.”
March 14
In a Chicago courtroom, Smollettpleaded not guiltyto the allegation that he lied to police and staged his own attack.
March 26
In a shocking move, Smollett wascleared of all charges.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed the charges against Smollett had been dropped.
20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment also released a statement: “Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed.”
source: people.com
