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Is 'Empire' Star Jussie Smollett's Story Falling Apart?
PJ Media ^ | 2/12/2019 | Tyler O'Neil

Posted on 02/13/2019 5:12:23 AM PST by simpson96

Chicago police say they will be requesting more phone records from "Empire" star Jussie Smollett regarding the racist and homophobic attack he allegedly faced two weeks ago. Smollett has turned over heavily redacted phone records, but evidence has begun to emerge suggesting his story was fabricated. Rumors are swirling that police are even considering charging him with filing a false report.

On Monday night, Fox 32 Chicago anchor Rafer Weigel reported that police "received cell phone records today from Smollett's camp. They were limited and redacted but detectives will analyze them."

Weigel had previously reported that the police superintendent plans to hold Smollett accountable if the investigation reveals he made a false report. "[Chicago Police Superintendent] Eddie Johnson says [Jussie Smollett] is still being treated as the victim in this case but if the investigation does reveal he made a false report he will be held accountable," he tweeted. That threat seems more likely.

Late Monday evening, ABC7 Chicago reported that an empty hot sauce bottle that smelled like bleach was found near the location of the alleged attack. Smollett had told police that the attackers — who wore "Make America Great Again" hats and screamed "This is MAGA country!" — had poured an unknown bleach-smelling liquid on him and put a noose around his neck after they yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him at 2 a.m. on January 29.

Chicago police confirmed a New York Post story about the hot sauce bottle.

"It's unclear if that is related to the incident as it was not discovered during any of the earlier canvasses but we took it for analysis," Chicago Police Department (CPD) spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. "The FBI is providing CPD with technical assistance on this case at our request. I'm not sure if the bottle went to their lab or one of ours."

As for the phone records, Guglielmi said, "We are very appreciative of the victim's cooperation, however, the records provided do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation as they were limited and heavily redacted. Detectives may be following up with him to request additional data to corroborate the investigative timeline."

Chicago police have not been able to identify any legitimate suspects in the case, nor have they been able to find any surveillance footage of the attack. There is speculation that the hot sauce bottle may have been placed after the fact to prop up the hoax if Smollett indeed made a false report.

Some locals smell a rat.

"I don’t believe it happened the way he said it did," Chicago resident Agin Muhammad told the New York Post. Muhammad reportedly lives in the same high-rise as Smollett.

"I’ve been in this neighborhood five years. I don’t believe it, not around here…. Half the people are gay and the other half are black."

In "Empire," Smollett plays a gay character, Jamal Lyon. The actor has also come out as gay.

Many Americans are waking up to the possibility that Jussie Smollett's story may be a hoax. Jeff Giesea, an entrepreneur who has written for NATO and the Harvard Business Review, tweeted, "The weight of evidence supports what we’ve suspected all along: This is a hate hoax. [Jussie Smollett] should be arrested for filing a false police report & sued. In this era of disinfo, these hoaxes and their media enablers must be held accountable."

Conservative blogger Matt Walsh laid out the basic incongruity of Smollett's story: "he claims he was attacked by white Trump-loving racists in one of the most liberal parts of one of the most liberal cities in America. No similar attacks have been reported by anyone in the town."

"He's on camera walking down the street. There is only a 60 second gap where he is not on camera, he claims the attack just so happened to occur during that gap," Walsh continued. "But cameras don't pick up anyone fitting the description of the suspects. If they exist, they must have vanished into thin air. Also, Smollett claims he was on the phone during the attack but didn't want to turn his phone over to police."

"Finally he did turn his phone records over, but redacted them so heavily as to make them useless. Oh and his own neighbors think the story is totally bogus," Walsh added. "If this guy wasn't a celebrity, police would have already charged him with filing a false report. The story was clearly bogus from the get go, and only became more bogus with each new revelation."

Quillette's Andy Ngo noted that the very person who said he could hear the attackers over the phone himself refused to let police examine the phone.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: chicago; empire; hoax; jussie; smollett
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To: treetopsandroofs

“People are awakening to the complete bias”

Does that make them “woke.”


41 posted on 02/13/2019 6:47:45 AM PST by Ouchthatonehurt
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To: simpson96

Holy homo hate hoax!!


42 posted on 02/13/2019 6:50:08 AM PST by utax
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To: simpson96

He will never be prosecuted for his lie. He has two protective get out of jail free cards.


43 posted on 02/13/2019 6:54:42 AM PST by I want the USA back (Lying Media: willing and eager allies of the hate-America left.)
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To: simpson96

:: Chicago resident Agin Muhammad...Half the people are gay and the other half are black. ::

Rut roh, raggy. (h/t ScoobyDoo)
This fella just walked into a sh!t storm.


44 posted on 02/13/2019 6:55:16 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic, Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
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To: beef
I think that statement was a rhetorical device. It does not have to be analysed mathematically.

There was nothing rhetorical about it. It was stupidly stated, whatever they wanted to say.

I like things to be logical. Common sense is not that hard, and logically, somebody should have corrected or pointed out the stupidity of the statement.
45 posted on 02/13/2019 6:55:18 AM PST by adorno
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To: adorno

Meaning that Muhammed just said that Jussie doesn’t belong in that ‘hood.


46 posted on 02/13/2019 6:56:28 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic, Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
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To: beef

Jussie carries that clothesline with him.
Jussie likes it rough. Real rough.


47 posted on 02/13/2019 6:58:19 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic, Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym explains the science.)
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To: Alas Babylon!

My belief is that the clothesline is what will really hang him (pun intended). The reason is because it shows a premeditated intent to deceive. The cops have given hoaxers the benefit of the doubt before - when their actions were stupid but spontaneous. This guy is criminally stupid.


48 posted on 02/13/2019 6:59:11 AM PST by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: simpson96

Falling? It was a major failure on day one. No one believed a word of it.


49 posted on 02/13/2019 7:13:17 AM PST by bgill (CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola.S)
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To: Alberta's Child

Where are Dr. Johnny Fever’s “Phone Cops”.....

Johnny: [after hearing the sirens] It’s the phone cops. They know what I did here today.
Venus: What are you talking about?
Johnny: They’re coming to get me, man!
Venus: That’s paranoia, man!
Johnny: Wake up, sucker, this is the phone company we’re talking about! They see everything, they know everything, they got their own covert police force! I’m probably wired for sound right now! I gotta get out of here!
Venus: Johnny!
Johnny: Don’t use my name!!


50 posted on 02/13/2019 7:15:17 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: simpson96

he will have exclusive interview with GMA’s Robin Roberts.


51 posted on 02/13/2019 7:52:30 AM PST by SMGFan
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To: All

If manufactured this incident he is just creating more racism and hatred. Action like that can only divide our nation more. If its true then the perpetrators need to be found, punished, and banished from the American society.


52 posted on 02/13/2019 8:44:13 AM PST by Retvet (Retvet)
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To: Will88

I thought his story fell apart at the very beginning, when he said they were wearing MAGA baseball caps on one the very coldest nights this year. Right!! That alone doesn’t pass the smell test to me. Plus, if bleach was thrown on him, even diluted bleach, he would have stains all over his clothing. This is a complete farce. I hope the Chicago PD grows a pair and charges this guy.


53 posted on 02/13/2019 10:30:04 AM PST by FamiliarFace
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To: ScottinVA
http://www.fakehatecrimes.org/
54 posted on 02/13/2019 10:48:40 AM PST by GOPJ (Amos n Andy Redux: "Coonman Northam" as Amos, Fairfax as Andy 'n AG Herring as Algonquin J. Calhoun)
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To: simpson96

He tried to get a “date” with a guy and it went bad. Now it is even worse because he is a crazy person and all know it.


55 posted on 02/13/2019 2:59:05 PM PST by minnesota_bound
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