‘Pain & Anger:’ ‘Empire’ Creator Finally Admits Truth About Smollett

newsbusters.org ^ | 3/21/2019 | Gabriel Hays

[rktman]

Empire creator Lee Daniels is finally backing off his defense of the boy-who-cried-MAGA, Jussie Smollett, and has admitted the “frustration” he and his colleagues have felt since the hate-hoaxer’s criminal charges. Took you long enough, man.

At the time he said, “Jussie you are my son. You didn’t deserve, nor anybody deserve to have a noose put around your neck, to have bleach thrown on you, to be called ‘die f—–, n—–,’ or whatever they said to you.” He then admonished the country for being so open to racism, as if Smollett’s “assault” was just part of the social fabric. “America is better than that. It starts at home… Hold your head up, Jussie. I’m with you, I’ll be there in a minute. It’s just another f—ing day in America.”

Right. Well, as they say, womp-womp. Daniels should have read the countless reports that were absolutely thrashing Smollett’s crackpot story at the time instead of pouring more fuel onto the ‘America is racist’ bonfire. Then again, that’s one narrative that Hollywood lefties have completely sold themselves on.

[rktman]

Hmmmm. Has 'queen' lah-teefuh capitulated yet? Or is she still toeing the line of "Well, it COULD have happened like that!"

[aynrandfreak]

He’s upset that the ratings have fallen in the wake of the scandal.

[SMGFan]

Waiting for Danny Strong.

[EQAndyBuzz]

Once they finish with him in Chicago, a new federal investigation of civil rights violations should be done. He violated white peoples civil rights by lying.

[treetopsandroofs]

According to this article, the only “truth” Smuttle’s creater admitted was:

“The past few weeks have been a freakin’ rollercoaster,” he admitted, adding that “me and my cast have experienced pain and anger and sadness and really don’t know how to deal with it.”

[Repealthe17thAmendment]

“me and my cast have experienced pain and anger and sadness and really don’t know how to deal with it.”

I can give him an idea on how to deal with it- first, apologize to all the people that you accused of being racist bigots.

[Liz]

Hoaxer Smollett’s brazen appearance on the Empire set, after the hoax was revealed, threw the entire cast and crew into turmoil. Did he think they would greet him as a conquering hero....like a gay black guy putting one over on dumb whitey? Hoaxer Smollett’s actions impugns everyone on the show......and they know it. That’s why they threw him off the set.

Probably Smollett's hoax would have died a slow death but the imbecile insisted "he wanted to tell his story on TV."

Smollett's victimized personna fought like blazes to get a TV interview. ABC's GMA obliged him. Smollett's lies were
picture-perfect. He was a fighting-mad "victim" as he lied to an unblinking true believer Robin Roberts on ABC's GMA.

Smollett reinvented himself as an especially fierce kind of "victim," a cool hero. “I fought the f**k back,” he told believer Roberts.
And, miracle of miracles, while Smollett was fighting off hate-filled attackers, he never once lost control of his Subway tuna sandwich.

====================================

THE BLOWBACK MUSTA BEEN INTENSE--EARLY ON, ABC BROUGHT OUT THE BIG GUNS.
Roberts swallowed Smollett's story hook, line, and sinker, and roiled ABC's PTB.

As Smollett Story Unravels, ABC Defends Robin Roberts' Softball Interview on GMA
By Kristine Marsh, newsbusters.org | February 18, 2019

ABC’s Good Morning America team went into full damage control mode Monday, after news broke over the weekend that actor Jussie Smollett had allegedly paid two men to stage his assault. Just last Thursday, anchor Robin Roberts had given the actor a softball interview, even refusing to call his story of a Trump supporter assaulting him, “alleged.” Leading into the report, Roberts finally did call the quickly unraveling story “alleged:”

"A new twist in the Jussie Smollett case. The actor firing back this morning as the story of his alleged attack faces questions. Police in Chicago say they're working to corroborate allegations that Smollett paid two men to stage the assault," she stated. In reporter Eva Pilgrim’s report, she tried to save face for ABC, stressing that police had said Smollett was “cooperating fully” with the investigation up until this point. Pilgrim did not mention that the Chicago Police Department also said Smollett would only give partial, redacted phone records to them.

Roberts followed up by defending her interview with the actor, as appropriate given the knowledge they had at the time: This case is ever evolving. Head-spinning. Changing. When I sat down with Jussie, it was Tuesday night in Chicago. At the time to give his first account publicly give his first account of what he said happened. And we have to remember, at that time, on Tuesday, police officers were saying that his account was consistent. It was credible. And that he was being cooperative. This was all before the interview aired on Thursday and then we found out about the brothers. Afterwards, the ABC team brought on the network’s legal analyst, Dan Abrams, to help do more damage control, spinning Roberts’ interview as more even-handed than it was by hyping the few times she had gingerly brought up skeptics of his story:

[I] have to say, Robin, even in the interview you did, you were talking about the skeptics. You were talking about the people who questioned his account. So, it's not new this idea that there are questions about what happened. What's new is that the police now seem to be making it clear that they believe the brothers and have, at the very least, serious questions about Jussie.

To end their segment, ABC hammered home how they weren’t responsible for how much airtime his problematic story got to begin with. GMA’sweekend anchor Dan Harris worried that just Smollett, not their network or the media as a whole, had caused damage for actual victims of hate crimes. Dan Abrams agreed, even admitting that the media “wanted” to believe Smollett’s account.

Again, the ABC team wouldn’t acknowledge the media’s role in spreading his dubious account:

DAN HARRIS: If Smollett made this up, what kind of impact does this have on other people that come forward to tell stories that are true about assault?
ABRAMS: I think that is the real impact here. I think this would have a big impact on the country. Which is, you want to believe someone. I mean, you're talking about an allegation of homophobia, racism, politics, all of it in one allegation. If it turns out that this well-known person just made this up, it's going to, I think, lead some people to have questions about coming forward. It will lead others having questions about whether they believe people's accounts. This is having a much bigger impact I think.....

"Yes. It is a very interesting turn in this case. I know people who talked to Jussie over the weekend. He insists that he had nothing to do the story. The more you hear, the more questions that are being raised. The investigation we should stress is still underway," she gushed.

https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kristine-marsh/2019/02/18/smollett-story-unravels-abc-defends-robin-roberts-softball

[aquila48]

I bet he still believes the “hands up don’t shoot story”.

[aquila48]

Exactly, this is not an apology for being so wrong and so quick to castigate America. What he’s doing is making himself a victim! Disgusting as hell.

I’m sure he hasn’t changed his initial sentiments one iota.

[Star Traveler]

These Marxists/Leftists simply MAKE UP NEWS when the news does not fit their failed Ideology. They are a bunch of PATHOLOGICAL LIARS.

[I want the USA back]

So is the smollet thing out of work? or will it be quietly given a job by some democrat-sympathizer?

[ridesthemiles]

“me and my cast have experienced pain and anger and sadness and really don’t know how to deal with it.””””

Wake Up-—Look at all the facts & face it head on.

Smollett was lying.

It cost the Chicago police & taxpayers thousands of dollars to figure this all out.

If they put him in prison & demand a complete payback of every penny, it won’t be enough.

[rktman]

An apology like that will never see the light of day. Me, reparations for travel would be okay. When can I expect a check?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks rktman. **** Lyin' Lee Daniels. Now that cancellation looms, he's attempting some insincere CYA.

• Jussie Smollett case clouds 'Empire' future [ 03/13/2019 7:40:28 AM PDT]
• Terrence Howard Defends 'Empire' Co-Star Jussie Smollett [ 02/24/2019 12:21:07 PM PST]
• Jussie Smollett Won't Be on Final Episodes of 'Empire' Season [ 02/22/2019 11:24:44 AM PST]
• Jussie Smollett Dropped From Remainder Of 'Empire's Season By Producers [ 02/22/2019 7:59:18 AM PST]
• 'Arguments erupt' on Empire set after Jussie Smollett's arrest as 'furious' cast members call... [ 02/22/2019 6:49:32 AM PST]
• Jussie Smollett- 'I Swear To God, I Did Not Do This' Pleads to 'Empire' Cast [ 02/21/2019 8:05:57 PM PST]
• Jussie Smollett has reportedly been cut from 'Empire' production this week as investigation... [ 02/19/2019 10:58:13 AM PST]
• Cops Arrest 'Potential Suspects' for Battery ... Brothers Are Former 'Empire' Extras [ 02/15/2019 2:40:52 PM PST]
• Maxine Waters Blames Trump For Attack On 'Empire' Actor: He's "Emboldening" People [ 02/15/2019 1:26:46 PM PST]
• Two Potential Suspects Arrested for Attack on 'Empire' Actor Jussie Smollett [ 02/15/2019 12:18:21 PM PST]
• Sources: Jussie Smollett staged attack with help of others, allegedly being written off 'Empire' [ 02/14/2019 4:17:39 PM PST]
• Sources: Jussie Smollett staged attack with help of others, allegedly being written off 'Empire' [ 02/14/2019 4:14:35 PM PST]
• "Empire" Cast Reportedly Working With FBI To Find Jussie Smollett's Attackers [ 02/07/2019 10:58:46 AM PST]
• [and the "Yeah, no ****" Award goes to...] Smollett told police attackers knew he was on 'Empire' [ 02/05/2019 8:22:02 AM PST]
• Chicago police say 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett refuses to hand over cellphone to them [ 01/31/2019 2:54:08 PM PST]

[Freee-dame]

Our propaganda media hosted softball, sympathetic questions for Smollett and the “Native American Elder” but completely hostile, attack questions for the MAGA hat-wearing teenager Nick Sandmann.

[Cuttnhorse]

I never understood why the bleach thing wasn’t questioned.

Don’t people understand what Clorox bleach does to exposed skin?
This was my first call of BS on the entire stupid story.

[Lizavetta]

I caught about one minute of Empire the other day. Three or four black women sitting at a table. Dialogue was "white girl" this and "white girl" that, all delivered with attitude because of ... well, I don't really know why. It just reeked of barely veiled hostility to whites.

But, of course, YOU are a racist if you don't like that.

Equally, I would never watch a show that had white characters saying "black girl" as a pejorative.

It's ugly.

[rktman]

Never caught an episode but previews appear to be attitudanal folks with weapons, drugs, hos, back stabbing and various low life behavior. Sir-prize!

[ClearCase_guy]

It just reeked of barely veiled hostility to whites.

Try to find the flip side of that coin -- a show where the white people in the main cast just hate blacks, call them names, and make no apologies for it.

Such a show does not exist. No one would make it. No one would watch it.

[Boomer]

Even the well known race baiter’s were quick to condemn Smollett. I guess they could see how much damage he did to their little race baiting golden goose.