BREAKING: Jussie Smollett testifies at his trial where he is charged with staging a racist, anti-gay attack and lying to police about it.
The actor who starred on the TV show “Empire” will share his account of what happened in January 2019 in an attempt to refute damaging testimony fromwho testified last week. They said Smollett, who is gay and Black, orchestrated the hoax to get publicity, giving them $100 for supplies and instructing them to place a noose around his neck and yell homophobic slurs. They also said Smollett paid them $3,500 to carry it out.
Smollett’s lawyers also have argued that Chicago police rushed to judgement when they brought charges against Smollett, and suggested a third person may have been involved in the attack.On the witness stand Monday, Smollett told the jury how he grew up in a close-knit family of six children and started performing as a child actor before getting more into music.
Brett Mahoney, who produced “Empire” in Chicago, testified earlier Monday that Smollett called him after the hate mail was sent to the set.
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