Empire star Jussie Smollett was hospitalized following what’s being investigated as a homophobic, racist hate crime, police confirm. The assault happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning outside a Subway in Chicago, with TMZ saying two white men wearing ski masks allegedly shouted “this is MAGA country,” placed a noose around Smollett’s neck, beat him, and left him with a fractured rib.
“Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime,” reads the PD’s statement, adding that “an unknown chemical substance” was poured on Smollett.
Chicago Police Department just sent out this statement re:
Jussie Smollett pic.twitter.com/DxQswZn8xd— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) January 29, 2019
Before the attack occurred, Smollett reportedly received a letter with cut-out letters spelling “You will die black f*g.” Smollett has reportedly already been released from the Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The multi-talented 35-year-old came out as gay in 2015 in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres.
Judging from the letter That Grape Juice acquired, the attack was premeditated. It’s unclear when Smollett received the letter, but it’s accompanied by what looks like a child’s handwriting and a crude drawing of him wearing a noose.
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