Ratings for the Fox TV series Empire have just barely improved this week since hitting an all-time low last week after its star, Jussie Smollett, was cleared of felony charges for allegedly faking a hate crime against himself.
CHICAGO (AP) — A deadline is looming for Jussie Smollett to pay more than $130,000 to Chicago for investigative costs into what city authorities say was a staged racist, anti-gay attack or risk getting slapped with a civil lawsuit.
President Donald Trump mocked Empire’s Jussie Smollett as “the actor that nobody ever heard of” in a Tuesday evening speech before the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Smollett’s scheme was so stupid and poorly planned he is now the Wile E. Coyote of hate crimes, which begs for ridicule.
Actor-comedian Tracy Morgan tore into embattled Empire actor Jussie Smollett during his appearance on the “The Tonight Show.”
Sunday in an interview with Extra at the NAACP Image Awards, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) praised the decision to drop “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s charges for filing a false police report about a staged hate crime against himself. Waters said
The Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago is protesting outside the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office on Monday, demanding the resignation of top prosecutor Kim Foxx after her office dropped all charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett.
Rev. Jesse Jackson on Friday released a statement branding the “outrage” surrounding Jussie Smollett as “fake news” and called on people still angered by allegations that the Empire actor staged a hate crime against himself to move on from the scandal.
The City of Chicago on Thursday warned “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett that he could be prosecuted for lying if he fails to repay the six-figure cost of the Chicago Police Department’s investigation into his alleged hate hoax in the next seven days.
Appearing Thursday evening on the Fox News Channel, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo told host Laura Ingraham that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx could serve up to 20 years in prison if convicted of corruption for her handling of the Jussie Smollett case.
Actor and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) awards host Anthony Anderson has revealed he is happy that the “system worked” for Empire star Jussie Smollett, after prosecutors in Chicago decided to drop charges against him of faking a hate crime against himself.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, whose office is under fire after dropping all charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett, recently attended at a fundraiser hosted by the son of progressive billionaire George Soros, who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a super PAC that supported her.
CHICAGO (AP) — A city official says Chicago is seeking $130,000 from “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett to cover the costs of the investigation into his reported beating, which police say was staged.
NBA great Charles Barkley warned that there could be “repercussions” from Empire actor Jussie Smollett’s actions, and said “we all lose” from what happened in Chicago.
Ratings for the FOX drama Empire crashed to an all-time low on Wednesday following the abrupt decision by the Cook County prosecutor to drop all charges against the show’s embattled star Jussie Smollett.
Appearing Thursday on CNN, Illinois State Rep. Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) discussed his plans to introduce legislation that would end tax credits to businesses that employ Empire actor Jussie Smollett, who the Chicago Police Department charges staged his own racist and homophobic attack on himself to boost his career.
When it comes to being a TV star, black lives suddenly don’t matter all that much to Jussie Smollett.
Appearing Thursday morning on NBC’s “Today,” Jussie Smollett lawyer Tina Glandian claimed “Abel” and “Ola” Osundairo, the two brothers of Nigerian descent allegedly paid to stage a racist and homophobic attack on the Empire star, suggested the pair could have worn “whiteface” during the ordeal.
We are only at the beginning of this story. What had been a scintillating celebrity scandal is now a full-fledged political and corruption scandal that reaches all the way up to a former president.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the FBI and the Department of Justice would review the case against Empire actor Jussie Smollett after Chicago prosecutors mysteriously dropped all of the charges resulting from the alleged hate hoax.
In a statement Tuesday 20th Century Fox announced that it was “gratified” that “Empire” star Jussie Smollett had all 16 felony counts related to making a false police report dropped.
Actress Taraji P. Henson, the Empire co-star of Jussie Smollett, expressed relief about the decision to drop all charges against the actor Tuesday in an alleged hate crime against himself.
Jussie Smollett’s community service consisted of 18 hours’ volunteering for Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition on Saturday and Monday.
David Axelrod, who served as senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, lamented the decision of Illinois prosecutors to drop all charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, stating the ordeal shows a well-connected celebrity could fake a hate crime against oneself without facing repercussions.
Chicago PD Commander Ed Wodnicki on Tuesday called the decision to dismissed charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett a “punch in the gut” and said law enforcement was prepared to bring a “rock solid case” against the Fox star.
Despite all charges being dropped against Empire star Jussie Smollett Tuesday, he reportedly still faces an FBI investigation for mail fraud.
Empire Star Taraji P. Henson has weighed in on the 2020 campaign for president and has decided that only former Vice President Joe Biden can “save” America.
Empire’s ratings suffered series-lows on Wednesday as fallout from actor Jussie Smollett being indicted for filing a false police report continues to plague the Fox drama.
The Chicago police union’s president alleges that the county’s top prosecutor interfered with the investigation of “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett before recusing herself and wants the Justice Department to determine if she broke any laws.
A promotional video for the Fox series Empire posted online is notably missing one of its stars, the now-indicted felon Jussie Smollett.
Ratings for the Fox television show Empire are plummeting after its star, Jussie Smollett was arrested for apparently staging a fake hate crime attack against himself.
CHICAGO (AP) — ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges accusing him of lying to the police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago a few weeks ago.
Cook County, Illinois’s top prosecutor lobbied the Chicago Police Department to give their investigation of a hate hoax Empire actor Jussie Smollett allegedly staged against himself to the FBI following pressure by an ex-aide to former first lady Michelle Obama, according to a report.
While ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett may still have the support of his castmates amid allegations that he staged a bigoted assault on himself, some crew members of the hit Fox television program are said to have been left “disgusted” by the saga.
The Empire cast and crew are sweating over the prospect of being renewed for a sixth season, and many believe Smollett could tip the show into cancellation.
CHICAGO (AP) — “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is expected at a Chicago hearing to discuss whether cameras will be allowed in the courtroom during his disorderly conduct case.
If it can be proved he deliberately used the mail to commit a fraudulent act, that is a federal crime that could mean up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett on Friday was indicted by a grand jury in Chicago on 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct in connection to filing a false report about an alleged hate crime against himself.
“Saturday Night Live” mocked now-alleged felon Jussie Smollett, saying that the “Empire” actor “broke humanity” with his hate hoax.
The two brothers who allegedly helped orchestrate the hoax hate crime attack against Empire actor Jussie Smollett claim they have “tremendous regret” over their involvement in the incident.