Empire actor Jussie Smollett staged an attack on himself last month because he was dissatisfied with his salary from the hit drama, a salary that was over $1 million per year, according to new reports.
Jussie Smollett was arrested Thursday morning for once charge of “felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.” According to Chicago police, the actor also sent a threatening letter to himself because of dissatisfaction with his salary.
Smollett’s salary was reportedly over a million dollars before taxes — $65,000 per episode — according to a report from the Huffington Post.
The “Empire” actor on Wednesday was charged with a felony for filing a false report in the racist and homophobic assault he claimed to have suffered in Chicago last month. He turned himself in to police custody early Thursday.
Smollett was paid $65,000 per episode for his co-starring role in the most recent season of “Empire,” a well-placed source told HuffPost. On average, there are 18 episodes of “Empire” per season.
The 36-year-old actor claimed that he was the target of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago last month. Smollett claimed that he was beaten, had a rope wrapped around his neck, and had a chemical poured on him while his attackers yelled “This is MAGA country!”
His story has rapidly unraveled over the last week, and the police now believe that Smollett paid two brothers to orchestrate the attack on himself. Chicago Police Superintendent Johnson said Smollett paid the pair $3,500 by check, which law enforcement is possession of.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.