REPORT: Jussie Smollett Back On Set Of ‘Empire’ After Release On Bond
Tom Pappert
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Reports indicate the alleged hate crime hoaxer and “Empire” star is back on set of the TV show today after being released from jail on bond.
Yesterday, police arrested Smollett for the crime of disorderly conduct, relating to the lies he allegedly told the Chicago Police Department about the attack he allegedly suffered in late January. Police argue that Smollett sent himself a threatening letter, then paid two Nigerian brothers and “Empire” extras to attack him with rope and bleach while wearing red hats that could be mistaken for Make America Great Again caps in a desperate effort to save his acting gig.
Smollett was apparently successful. After he was released from jail on bond earlier today, he was reportedly back on the “Empire” set by early evening, working for the Fox TV show.
https://twitter.com/BreakingNLive/status/1098737704517492736
Fox had previously released two statements supporting Smollett, and pledging to help him through the alleged hate crime he suffered. They have yet to release a statement confirming the legally embattled actor is still working on the show, or that they have severed ties.
It was reported earlier this week that the producers of “Empire” considered suspending Smollett from the show and terminating his employment.
Fox is considering removing Jussie Smollett from production on “Empire.” Sources close to the production told Variety that producers are weighing whether to suspend the actor after he was charged Wednesday in Chicago with filing a false police report.
A spokesperson for 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the series, declined to comment. Smollett’s status on the show may change amid a fluid legal situation.
This apparent double standard will likely remind readers of the treatment of Roseanne Barr, who was fired from the TV show bearing her name after she posted an allegedly racist tweet criticizing the looks and actions of former Obama administration member Valerie Jarret.
Barr, who says she thought Jarret was white, was fired over a simple misunderstanding regarding the tweet. Meanwhile, Smollett may have orchestrated one of the largest hate hoaxes of 2019, and smeared the good name of millions of President Donald J. Trump’s supporters, as well as residents of the progressive city of Chicago, in the process.
For a possible hint toward the future viewership of “Empire,” readers need only examine the ratings nosedive the TV show formerly titled “Roseanne” experienced after the writers killed her character in retribution for her tweet.
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