Tag: Jussie Smollett

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Conflicting Reports In The Media Regarding Alleged Assault On Jussie Smollett

There's rampant confusion in the media tonight as I'm seeing conflicting reports regarding the alleged attack on Empire star, Jussie Smollett.
Jussie Smollett on ‘Good Morning America’

There’s rampant confusion in the media tonight as I’m seeing conflicting reports regarding the alleged attack on Empire star, Jussie Smollett.

Chicago police confirmed that they are talking to two persons of interest in connection with the alleged attack.

Local news station ABC7 Eyewitness News reports police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of Empire.

In a statement released Thursday, police said they identified the two people in surveillance photos and tracked them down using cameras, public transportation records and corroborating info provided by Smollett.

CBS2 reports police raided the home of the two men finding bleach, shoes, electronics and more.

And, according to CBS2, the men know Smollett as they’ve reportedly worked as extras on Empire. That information came from their attorney, Gloria Schmidt.

“They do know Jussie,” she told CBS2. “They have worked with him on Empire. My preliminary investigations show that on set it’s very tight. They’re all very cordial with each other, so they’re baffled why they are people of interest.”

However…

As these reports began to circulate, Chief communications officer for the CPD, Anthony Guglielmi, tweeted that media reports alleging the attack was hoax are “unconfirmed by case detectives.”

Guglielmi added that media sources regarding the attack are “uninformed and inaccurate.”

Additionally, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment released the following statement regarding the reports:

“The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of EMPIRE is patently ridiculous. He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”

I don’t know what is or isn’t true here, so I’m just reporting what I’m seeing.

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Jussie Smollett Speaks To GMA About Alleged Late Night Attack

‘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.”

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News Round-Up: February 13, 2019

Donald Trump may think having a dog could make him look 'phony,' but InstaHunk Naor Yazdan says he's already found his Valentine's date, and this looks like true love to me.

Some news items you might have missed:

• Donald Trump may think having a dog could make him look ‘phony,’ but InstaHunk Naor Yazdan says he’s already found his Valentine’s date, and this looks like true love to me.

• Out actor/singer Jussie Smollett will give his first interview since he was attacked in Chicago last month to Robin Roberts on GMA Thursday morning.

• Netflix’s upcoming ‘Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City’ is set to debut at the San Francisco International Film Festival at the Castro Theater on April 10. The series will arrive on Netflix this summer.

• Donald Trump said today that his proposed border wall will be harder to climb than Mount Everest.

• After Ellen Page called out movie star Chris Pratt for promoting his church, virulently anti-LGBTQ Hillsong Church, Pratt finally took to social media to defend the church saying it “opens its doors to absolutely everyone.” Let’s just say it didn’t go over well with the Twitter people.

• Season 3 of Netflix’s Emmy Award winning ‘make better’ series, Queer Eye, is set for release on March 15, and the streaming giant shared the news with a Valentines-themed video clip accompanied by a new track from pop star Carly Rae Jespen, “Now That I Found You.”

After two seasons in Atlanta, the series is changing locations to help our folks in the Kansas City area. Hit play below for the upbeat vid.

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Jussie Smollett Speaks Out At First Public Appearance: “I Fought The F*ck Back”

Almost a week after Empire star Jussie Smollett was assaulted in Chicago by two men who used homophobic, racist slurs during the attack, the actor & singer showed up for his already scheduled concert at The Troubadour in Los Angeles last night.
Jussie Smollett (image via screen capture)

Almost a week after Empire star Jussie Smollett was assaulted in Chicago by two men who used homophobic, racist slurs during the attack, the actor & singer showed up for his already scheduled concert at The Troubadour in Los Angeles last night.

As he took to the stage, his first public appearance since the attack, he told the crowd, “I had to be here tonight, y’all. I can’t let the motherf—ers win,” according to Variety.

“I have so many words on my heart,” Smollett told the sold-out crowd. “The most important thing I have to say is thank you so much and that I’m okay. I’m not fully healed yet, but I’m going to. And I’m gonna stand strong with y’all… l 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. And I hope that you all will stand with me. So now… let’s do it.”

Variety notes that the concert was sold-out before the attack in Chicago.

With a setlist that included songs like, “Freedom,” Conqueror,” and “Hurt People,” Smollett reportedly fought back tears as the evening took on a message of defiance and strength.

Near the end of the concert, the singer called out to two artists in attendance – out actor Wilson Cruz (Star Trek: Discovery) and Empire creator Lee Daniels: “I promised myself I was not gonna cry tonight. Someone in the crowd that I want to recognize: Wilson Cruz is someone I identified with growing up. I stand on the backs of so many people — of the Lee Daniels and the Wilson Cruz’s — and I pray to God I make you all proud.”

Before his final encore, he said there were a few points of fact that he wanted to clear up regarding reports of the attack.

“I was bruised but my ribs were not cracked; they were not broken,” he began. “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 care, obviously. And above all: I fought the f— back.”

And the crowd goes wild!

After the roar subsided, he finished the moment by joking, “I’m the gay Tupac! So now, we can do our encore.”

As he exited the stage, Smollett announced, “We are proud. We are gay.”

Wilson Cruz acknowledged Smollett on his Instagram.

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Jussie Smollett “I’m Ok”

(image via Instagram/JussieSmollett)

In his first public statement regarding the homophobic, racist assault he experienced earlier this week in Chicago, Empire star Jussie Smollett has spoken to Essence saying he is ‘ok’ and assured folks that he has ‘been 100% factual and consistent on every level’ about the attack.

Let me start by saying that I’m ok. My body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly I want to say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words.

I am working with authorities and have been 100% 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.

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.

This follows a statement released by Smollett’s family yesterday on Instagram saying they are standing by their “beloved son and brother.”

“Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed,” read the family’s statement. “We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country.”

The family closed with, “Make no mistake, words matter. Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Radical love is the only solution, but passivity will be our downfall. We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme in our nation and all over the world.”

See the full statement by the family below.

Because there’s a light in him that cannot be dimmed, because we are a family of joyful warriors, we will not let this get the best of us. Although this is a picture from happier times, this is the spirit to which we chose to move forward…they will not steal, our joy. ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽 ________________________________________________________Statement from our family: “ In the early hours of Tuesday morning, our beloved son and brother, Jussie, was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. 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. 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. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country. Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such. They will continue to occur until we hold each other accountable. Make no mistake, words matter. Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Radical love is the only solution, but passivity will be our downfall. We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme in our nation and all over the world. With love & gratitude, The Smollett Family”
A post shared by Jurnee Smollett Bell (@jurneebell) on Jan 31, 2019 at 7:36pm PST

(h/t Boy Culture)

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News Round-Up: January 31, 2019

Instagram hottie José Adones – check his moves out at the end of this post

Some news items you might have missed:

• A candidate for the Wisconsin state Supreme Court wrote just a few years ago that legalizing homosexuality would lead to bestiality. But he has no bias against LGBTs whatsoever…

• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has signed a law requiring school boards to use instructional materials that accurately portray political, economic, and social contributions of LGBTs and persons with disabilities. #Bravo!

• Donald Trump responded to reports of the horrific attack on Empire star Jussie Smollett telling reporters in the Oval Office today, “That I can tell you is horrible. It doesn’t get worse.”

• Yorke Print Shoppe in Chicago refused to print a fundraising brochure for an LGBTQ charity. The owner, Brad Scull, says he has nothing against “those people” but has an issue with promoting “the lifestyle.”

Note: There is no religious exemption to Illinois’s nondiscrimination law, and sexual orientation is specifically included as a protected class. So, you do the math…

• The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the city of Fayetteville may not continue enforcing its anti-discrimination ordinance while the city challenged the constitutionality of a 2015 law that prevents cities and counties from enacting their own LGBTQ protections not covered by state law.

• A deaf lesbian couple say Delta Airlines mistreated them when they tried to communicate with a gate agent in Detroit. The women say they wrote down their request to sit next to each other on the plane, but the agent crumpled up their note and threw it away.

• This could technically qualify as a ‘Daily Dance’ post, but I thought I’d leave this right here.

Florida-based dancer/entertainer José Adones (top of page) is giving you all kinds Latin flavor here. And I ain’t mad 🙂

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Twitter Trolls Kevin Hart For Sending Jussie Smollett ‘Prayers’ After Homophobic Assault

Kevin Hart (L), Jussie Smollett (R)

In the aftermath of a homophobic, racist attack on Empire star Jussie Smollett, an outpouring of love and support for the openly gay actor came flooding across social media.

As I reported earlier this week, Smollett was assaulted in the early hours of January 29 when two attackers physically accosted him, poured bleach on his head and put a noose around his neck, all while calling him homophobic slurs.

The incident is now being investigated by police as a possible hate crime.

Celebrities and activists of all stripes reached out to send ‘best wishes’ and thoughts for a speedy recovery after the attack.

But when comedian Kevin Hart offered his ‘prayers’ via Instagram, social media was not having it.

In addition to said prayers, Hart wrote:

“This is unbelievably sad. Why are we going backwards….this is disgusting. We as people have to do better. WTF is going on the world???? Why are we falling in love with hate???? God damn it people….Choose love…I repeat…Choose love. I will forever choose love and I will continue to teach my kids how to do the same. Stand strong brother”

You’ll recall Hart recently had to step down from hosting this year’s Oscars after homophobic tweets and jokes resurfaced from his past.

The man who took forever to give a direct apology for joking that he would break a doll house over his son’s head if he thought he might be gay is now wondering, “Why are we going backwards?”

Uh-uh, the Twitter people do not have short memories when it comes to seems like hypocrisy here.

Here’s just a sample of the responses Hart got to his ‘prayers:’

Hart responded this afternoon via tweet:

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Music Video: Jussie Smollett “Freedom” With Cynthia Erivo & Tika Sumpter

Stop, drop and scroll down to take a look at out Empire star Jussie Smollett’s gorgeous new music video, “Freedom.”

“This video is about love,” Smollett recently told Complex. “I wanted to show two people doing the everyday things that every single couple does. I see nothing but beauty through the eyes of these characters we’ve created. I hope everyone else does as well. Love is freedom. Freedom is love. Enjoy!”

The sensitive and beautifully shot video features Cynthia Erivo (Tony Award-winner for The Color Purple) and Tika Sumpter (Gossip Girl) as a loving couple simply living their lives out loud.

The track is from his upcoming album, Sum of My Music, out March 2.

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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 🙂

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Jussie Smollett Of “Empire” Comes Out To Ellen

Ellen shares this backstage clip with Empire star Jussie Smollett:

“It was really important to me to make sure that it got across that there is no closet.”

“There’s never been a closet. That I’ve been in. I don’t own a closet, I got a dresser, but I don’t have a closet, but I have a home and that is my responsibility to protect that home.

“So that’s why I choose not to talk bout my personal life. But there is, without a doubt, no closet that I’ve ever been in, and I just wanted to make that clear, but it was most important for me to make that clear to you on your show at this time in the world. And that’s where I’m at.”

The backstage sit-down followed his appearance on the show where he briefly alluded to his personal life when asked a question about his Empire character “Jamal Lyons'” coming out.

Interesting that he didn’t just say “I’m gay. No worries.” Language is important, and usually thoughtfully considered in these cases. It seems like he specifically avoided the words.

(h/t Buzzfeed)