TV actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a Cook County grand jury on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report that he was assaulted.

The panel returned the charges on Thursday.

The Empire actor was initially charged last month with one count of disorderly conduct for alleging falsely reporting that he had been physically attacked on Jan. 29 by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing.

The expanded charges focus on the allegedly false statements he made to two Chicago police officers about the incident.

Chicago police say that Smollett staged the attack to advance his career. </s> TV actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a Cook County grand jury on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report that he was assaulted.

The panel returned the charges on Thursday.

The Empire actor was initially charged last month with one count of disorderly conduct related to the accusation that he falsely reported that he had been physically attacked on Jan. 29 by two men who shouted racist and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck before fleeing.

The expanded charges focus on the allegedly false statements he made to two Chicago police officers about the incident.

"The new set of charges each carry a possible sentence of probation to four years. Smollett already pleaded not guilty to the first disorderly conduct charge. He was taken into custody and posted $100,000 bond to be freed."

Chicago police say that Smollett staged the attack to advance his career. </s> Jussie Smollett's legal case just took another turn for the worse. On Thursday, a Cook County grand jury indicted him on 16 felony counts after allegedly lying to police about being the victim of a hate crime.

In January 2019, the 36-year-old Empire star was reported to have been targeted in an alleged racist, homophobic assault in Chicago. But a month later, after questioning two men, police classified Smollett a suspect in a criminal investigation and he was later arrested and charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. Police had accused him of paying the men to orchestrate an assault on him.

On Thursday, the grand jury indicted Smollett on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. His attorneys had no immediate comment on the indictment when contacted by E! News. His rep said the studio and the FOX network have no comment on Thursday's developments in the case. Smollett, who is out on $100,000 bail, and his lawyers have in recent weeks denied the allegations made against him. </s> Empire star Jussie Smollett’s legal troubles over an alleged false assault just got worse. A grand jury in Chicago on Friday returned 16 federal felony counts of disorderly conduct against the actor, stemming from a “potential hate crime” that he now is said to have falsely reported in late January.

The charges come on top of the state charges Smollett was hit with last month that could see the actor face up to three years in jail. The new federal counts are based on false statements Smollett allegedly made to Chicago PD detectives investigating what seemed to be a racist- and homophobic-based attack on him on January 29.

“Jussie Smollett knew that at the time … there was no reasonable ground for believing that such offenses had been committed,” reads the indictment that came down today.

Each of the new charges carries a potential sentence of up to four years, but realistically, in cases likes this, a plea bargain likely rather than a long-term jail sentence. </s> Actor Jussie Smollett has been charged with filing a false police report and disorderly conduct after he claimed he suffered a homophobic and racist assault in Chicago last month.

“Felony criminal charges have been approved by [Cook County State Attorney’s Office] against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report,” Chicago Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted on Thursday.

“Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest.”

Earlier in the day, Guglielmi tweeted that Smollett was “now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony)” and detectives were presenting evidence before a grand jury.

The openly gay actor, who stars in TV drama Empire, told police two masked men attacked him in Chicago in the early hours of January 29, yelling homophobic and racist slurs and striking him.

Smollett claimed the men doused him in a chemical, thought to be bleach, and wrapped a rope around his neck.

Chicago Police initially said they were investigating the incident as a “possible hate crime” but last week two Nigerian men who were initially deemed suspects – and known to Smollett – were released without charge.

Police said at that time “new evidence” had “shifted” the investigation, and police sources told multiple local media outlets last weekend that police now believed Smollett staged the attack with the two men’s help.

Chicago police say the charge of filing a false police report carries a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Smollett strenously denied the claims he staged the attack in an interview on US television and his lawyers said in a later statement the actor was “angered and devastated” and had been “further victimised” by the allegations.

“He has now been further victimised by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack,” the statement read.

“Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

Smollett has played gay character Jamal Lyon on the FOX music industry drama Empire for five seasons, and the actor came out as gay on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show in 2015. </s> CHICAGO (AP) - A grand jury in Chicago has indicted "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts related to making a false report that he was attacked by two men in Chicago who shouted racial and homophobic slurs.

The Cook County grand jury indictment filed Thursday charges him with falsely reporting an offense.

Smollett was charged on Feb. 20 with one count of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

Smollett, who is black and gay, told police in late January that he was attacked by two men in downtown Chicago who wrapped a rope around his neck.

Police say Smollett recruited two men to stage the attack because he was upset with his pay on the Fox show. Smollett has denied playing a role in the attack. </s> The latest chapter in the Jussie Smollett attack case took a dramatic turn on March 8 when the ‘Empire’ star was hit with 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.

Jussie Smollett, 36, has been hit with 16 felony charges for allegedly filing a false police report when he claimed that he was the victim of a homophobic and racist attack in January. A Cook County grand jury returned the indictment on March 7, according to ABC 7 Chicago. The charges have been confirmed by the Cook County State’s Attorney Office. The Empire star had already been charged with one felony count of disorderly conduct on Feb. 20 for filing a false police report.

Jussie drew headlines when he claimed that he was attacked by two strangers in his Chicago neighborhood on Jan. 29. He alleged that the two men physically assaulted him and hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him, as well as flinging a chemical substance in his face and putting a noose around his neck. Within a month, after an investigation, Chicago police arrested Jussie alleging that he paid two brothers – Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo – to beat him up. He was released after posting $100,000 bail.

These indictments are reportedly related to two separate sets of charges, according to ABC 7 Chicago – one set for what Jussie told officers about the alleged hate crime and the other set is related to his second interview with cops. HollywoodLife has reached out to the actor’s lawyers, rep and FOX (which airs Empire) for comment, but we have yet to receive a response. As for how much time Jussie faces, each set of charges could lead to a sentence of four years of probation.

Jussie has repeatedly denied allegations that he orchestrated a fake hate crime. On Feb. 21 his lawyers released a statement saying, “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”

However, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told a press conference on Feb. 21 that the actor paid the two brothers $3,500 to fake the attack because he was “dissatisfied with his salary.” HollywoodLife will keep you updated as this story develops. </s> All sixteen felony counts against Jussie Smollett have been dropped. CNN:



All charges against actor Jussie Smollett -- who had been accused of staging a hate crime against himself in Chicago and filing a false police report about it -- have been dropped, prosecutors and his attorneys said Tuesday.

The move is a dramatic reversal in a case in which police alleged just last month that the 36-year-old "Empire" actor hired two acquaintances to attack him along a Chicago street in late January to promote his career.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office didn't immediately explain why the 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct were dropped, except to say it came after reviewing the case's facts, and in view of Smollett's agreement to forfeit his $10,000 bond. Parts of the case will be sealed, one of Smollett's attorneys said.

"After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case," the state's attorney's office said in a statement. </s> CHICAGO — “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has been indicted on 16 felony counts by a Cook County grand jury.

The indictment charges Smollett with 16 counts of disorderly conduct.

Smollett reported to police in January that he had been attacked in Chicago in an incident that ended with a noose around his neck. Police initially investigated the case as a possible hate crime.

But after police detained two men who were “persons of interest,” police sources revealed that police suspected Smollett knew the men and allegedly had paid them $3,500 to stage the attack.

Smollett has denied that any involvement in orchestrating an attack.

In February, Smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct. The judge granted a $100,000 bail, and Smollett paid a $10,000 bond. He was ordered to give up his passport and will remain under supervision until his case is adjudicated.

“Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense,” Smollett’s attorneys said in February.
Actor Jussie Smollett is indicted on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false hate crime police report in January in Chicago.