Jussie Smollett has been charged by a grand jury in Chicago on 16 counts, for allegedly filing a false police report which claimed he was the victim of a hate-crime assault.
Back in January, the 36-year-old told police that he had been the victim of a homophobic and racist assault in Chicago.
The actor, best known for his role as Jamal Lyon on Empire, told officers that he was attacked by two masked men – who shouted racist and homophobic slurs as they beat him, doused him with a chemical substance, and put a noose around his neck.
But just last month, Jussie was arrested, and Chicago police claimed that he staged the attack in an attempt to further his acting career.
At the time he was initially charged, Chicago police officer Eddie Johnson claimed that Jussie had paid two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, $3,500 to stage the assault on him.
Despite the charges, the actor has maintained that he’s innocent, and he’s set to appear in court on March 16.
Responding to Friday’s indictment, Jussie’s attorney Mark Geragos said his client “adamantly maintains his innocence even if law enforcement has robbed him of that presumption.”
