Jussie Smollett (screen capture via ABC News)
Abel and Ola Osundairo (image via the Osundairo’s since-deleted Instagram account)
Jussie Smollett (mugshot)
Jussie Smollett Indicted On New Charges Over Alleged Hoax Attack
News Round-Up: April 24, 2019
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| David Hernandez |
Some news item you might have missed:
• Out singer/songwriter and American Idol alum David Hernandez found my favorite place in Puerto Vallarta – Mantamar Beach Club. If you look behind him in the lower right hand corner, you can see the cabanas hot hubby Michael and I always spend our days in 🙂
• File this under ‘Birds of a feather…’ One of the co-founders of Students For Trump has been arrested for pretending to be a Manhattan lawyer and taking thousands from would-be clients.
• Five states – California, New Mexico, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington – have announced they will refuse to impose Donald Trump’s trans military ban and therefore not remove trans people from their National Guards.
• Donald Trump says his administration is “fighting all the subpoenas” claiming the Democrats are hoping to “luck out” by going after him. If you’re innocent, why hide anything?
“We’re fighting all the subpoenas,” Pres. Trump says, saying Democrats are trying to “luck out” in 2020 by “constantly going after me on nonsense.” https://t.co/WFGygHVmLA pic.twitter.com/IbOTtySbaz— ABC News (@ABC) April 24, 2019
• Former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen was told not to bring up any concerns about Russian forms of interference in the 2020 election in front of Donald Trump because he “equated any public discussion of malign Russian election activity with questions about the legitimacy of his victory.”
• Fox’s Empire will feature the first black gay wedding on network television; and it may be Jussie Smollett’s last episode.
• Today is True Colors Day – launched by Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors United organization in an effort to raise public awareness about LGBTQ youth homelessness, and to provide supporters with simple ways to make a difference.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. While many factors contribute to LGBTQ youth homelessness, identity-based family rejection is the most commonly cited reason.
The cast of FX’s Pose sat down to make this video for True Colors Day about how we can change our culture to one of love and acceptance.
Chicago: Jussie Smollett Enters ‘Not Guilty’ Plea To 16 Felony Counts
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| Jussie Smollett pleaded ‘not guilty’ in Chicago today |
Actor Jussie Smollett appeared in a Chicago courtroom Thursday morning to officially plead ‘not guilty’ to 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct.
The charges stem from his claim that on January 29, during a late-night food run, he was assaulted by two men who physically beat him, put a noose around his neck, and poured an unidentified liquid on his head. Smollett alleges his assailants used homophobic and racist slurs during the attack.
The Chicago Police Department were able to track down the two men – brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo – via surveillance cameras. The two men told police they were paid by Smollett to stage the incident in an effort by Smollett to increase his salary on Empire.
On March 9, a grand jury indicted Smollett on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing false police reports.
Since the scandal has escalated and charges were filed against him, the TV show has written Smollett’s character out of the remaining episodes this season.
His attorney, Tina Glandian, entered the plea during the brief hearing at Leighton Criminal Courthouse, according to Chicago’s local CBS2 News.
Following the plea, Cook County Judge Steven Watkins ruled that Smollett may travel to California and New York for consultations with his lawyers as long he provides the court with 48 hours notice.
Otherwise, the 36-year-old will not be allowed to leave the state of Illinois without prior permission from the court.
The presiding Criminal Court Judge allowed cameras in the courtroom today, but Judge Watkins will have the final say as to whether future hearings will be open to media cameras.
Smollett has indicated through his lawyers that he wants the cameras in the court as a balance to what he says are ‘misinformation’ leaks. His attorneys say they want the public to see evidence as it is presented in court.
During a recent appearance on CNN with Anderson Cooper, Smollett’s defense attorney Mark Geragos claimed the Empire star has been the victim of a ‘media gang bang.’
“What is happening here is, frankly, a media gang bang of this guy of unprecedented proportions,” said the celebrity lawyer who has previously represented Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder and Scott Peterson.
He added later, “I defy anybody to find any indictment anywhere where somebody has brought 16 counts for being a victim of a hate crime.”
Smollett’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 17. Watch Geragos’s ‘gang bang’ appearance on CNN below.
Jussie Smollett Will Not Appear In Final Season 5 Episodes Of ‘Empire’
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| Jussie Smollett |
Variety reports that Jussie Smollett, arrested and charged with filing a false police report yesterday in Chicago, will not appear in the final episodes of Season 5 of Fox’s Empire.
“The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us” said series executives Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer in a statement released Friday.
“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.”
Jussie Smollett Speaks To GMA About Alleged Late Night Attack
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| ‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett speaks to GMA about alleged gay bashing |
In his first interview since he told police he had been the victim of a late night attack in Chicago, actor/singer Jussie Smollett says he’s disappointed some doubt his story.
“I have to acknowledge the lies, and the hate,” the Empire star told Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts. “And it feels like if I had said it was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me much more – a lot more.”
“And that says a lot about the place that we are in our country right now,” he added.
Police continue to investigate the suspected hate crime that Smollett says happened on January 29 around 2 a.m. as he left a Subway restaurant.
The 36-year-old actor says two men yelled homophobic and racial slurs to get his attention, then put a noose made out of white rope around his neck, poured a liquid on him Smollett says was bleach, and then beat him. Smollett says the men yelled, “This is MAGA country” during the attack.
He was later treated for bruised ribs and injuries to his clavicle bone at a hospital.
Smollett says he thought if he told the truth, then, “That’s it – that’s the truth.” But, then as he began to hear doubters, he came to feel, ”Oh, it’s not necessarily that you don’t believe that this is the truth, you don’t even want to see the truth.”
“For me, the main thing was the idea that I somehow switched up my story, you know? And that somehow maybe I added a little extra trinket, you know, of the MAGA thing,” Smollett told Roberts. “I didn’t need to add anything like that. They called me a fag, they called me a n*gg*r. There’s no which way you cut it. I don’t need some MAGA hat as the cherry on top of some racist sundae.”
He explains he didn’t immediately call the police out of a sense of pride, saying, “We live in a society where, as a gay man, you are considered – somehow – to be weak, and I’m not weak. And we, as a people, are not weak.”
When asked why he thought he was targeted, Smollett surmises it’s because, “I come really really hard against 45. I come really really hard against his administration.”
Smollett says he believes the image of two people found on surveillance cameras by the police are his attackers, saying “I don’t have any doubt in my mind that that’s them – never did.”
And moving forward, he says he “will never be the man that this did not happen to. I am forever changed.”
And Smollett has a message for the LGBTQ community. “I want a little gay boy, who might watch this to see that I fought back.”
“Learn to fight; learn to be a fighter,” he continued. “I’m not advocating violence, at all. If you are going to die, fight until you do. Cause if you don’t fight, you have no chance.”
Shortly after Smollett’s interview aired, Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi tweeted that authorities have found the persons of interest captured on surveillance cameras around the time of the alleged attack and they are being questioned.
Guglielmi emphasized the two are “not considered suspects at this time as they are currently being questioned by detectives.”
He added, “We remain in communication with the alleged victim.”
Important for media reporting: The people of interest are alleged to be in the area where a crime was reported. They are not considered suspects at this time as they are currently being questioned by detectives. We remain in communication with the alleged victim. pic.twitter.com/JuH1kYRTYV— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 14, 2019
Empire’s Jussie Smollett Makes History With His New Pepsi Commercial
With the release of his new Pepsi commercial, Empire star Jussie Smollett becomes the first black openly gay man to star in a major soda campaign.
From Advocate:
In a meta twist, the filming of the commercial, which was directed by Lee Daniels, occurred as a plot point of Empire’s season 2. The song used in the ad, “Ready to Go,” was created by Smollet’s character’s parents, Cookie and Lucious Lyon, in the Fox show, but produced by Swizz Beatz in real life.
The commercial debuted in both worlds during Empire’s mid-season finale this week. The show will resume in March.
Smollett came out publicly on The Ellen DeGeneres Show earlier this year.
Big up to Pepsi for not worrying about the haters who might have an issue with this. I know I sure don’t 🙂