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The FBI is working with the U.S. Postal Service to determine whether Empire actor Jussie Smollett sent himself a threatening letter in the days before the “hate crime” he is now under investigation for allegedly staging, two federal officials told ABC News Tuesday. The two Nigerian brothers who told Chicago Police last week that Smollett paid them to stage a racially motivated attack on him have also told the authorities that Smollett sent himself the threatening letter that arrived on the Empire set on January 22, just seven days before they claim they conducted the hoax attack. The brothers, one...

When TV star Jussie Smollett claimed to be the victim of a racist anti-gay attack at the hands of two Trump supporters, virtually the entire news media and a parade of politicians immediately believed him and demanded the rest of us do so as well. Now, that story is coming completely apart, with police sources saying Smollett likely orchestrated the entire attack himself. But while we wait for the facts to come to light, it is worth remembering that almost 3,000 people were shot in the City of Chicago last year -- women, small children -- sometimes alone and sometimes...

Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris appeared to be caught off guard Monday when she was asked about the latest developments in the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett. During an appearance at a bookstore in Concord, N.H., a female reporter asked the senator from California if she wanted to amend a tweet from Jan. 29, in which she said Smollett was the victim of "an attempted modern day lynching" and called the actor "one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know." "Which tweet? What tweet?" Harris asked. As the reporter specified the tweet in question, Harris appeared...

After garnering a host of press attention for a supposed anti-black, anti-gay attack from supposed random supporters of President Trump, involving a noose, Hollywood actor Jussie Smollett looks pretty washed up now that a couple of Nigerians have been implicated by the Chicago cops in the perpetration of a hoax, supposedly to garner sympathy. But another Hollywood guy, a film producer named Tariq Nasheed, who also goes by hip-hop rapper-like names of "K-Flex" and "King Flex," thinks this isn't the end of the story. He smells a political rat. His series of tweets raises suspicions that the political response to...

After garnering a host of press attention for a supposed anti-black, anti-gay attack from supposed random supporters of President Trump, involving a noose, Hollywood actor Jussie Smollett looks pretty washed up now that a couple of Nigerians have been implicated by the Chicago cops in the perpetration of a hoax, supposedly to garner sympathy. But another Hollywood guy, a film producer named Tariq Nasheed, who also goes by hip-hop rapper-like names of "K-Flex" and "King Flex," thinks this isn't the end of the story. He smells a political rat. His series of tweets raises suspicions that the political response to...

Last night, the dam of media protection for Empire actor Jussie Smollett finally broke, as major news outlets suddenly decided it was safe to report that police strongly believe, backed by evidence, that his story of being a victim of a Trump-motivated hate crime is false. While his high-priced lawyers are still desperately playing the victim card, it appears that Smollett paid the two Nigerian brothers who “attacked” him (and whom he clearly knows) in a conspiracy to create a hoax. This is a fraud in which the mainstream news media might as well have been an unindicted co-conspirator. They,...

Nancy Pelosi DELETES a tweet saying 'attack' on actor Jussie Smollett was 'an affront to humanity' after allegations the Empire star staged homophobic and racist attack to save his job Nancy Pelosi deleted a tweet sympathetic to actor and singer Jussie Smollett House Speaker deleted tweet after allegations the attack was staged emerged Smollett claimed two men threw chemicals at him and tied rope around his neck Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo claim actor paid them to stage Chicago attack House Speaker Nancy Pelosi deleted a tweet expressing sympathy for Jussie Smollett, posted before allegations he faked a homophobic and racist...

Chicago police late Friday released two Lakeview men who had been questioned for two days as “potential persons of interest” and, later, “potential suspects” in the alleged hate crime attack of Empire TV star Jussie Smollett early on Jan. 29 in Streeterville. “Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations” Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo and his brother Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo were released, said Anthony Guglielmi, the top spokesperson for Chicago police. “Detectives have additional investigative work to complete.” The Osundiros are no longer considered suspects by investigators, whose full attention is now focused squarely on Smollett, according to well-established...

BREAKING NEWS. Fox 32 reporter Rafer Weigel said Saturday afternoon that Chicago police sources confirmed detectives were able to show that the Nigerian brothers who were “persons of interest” and questioned by police, bought the rope found around Jussie Smollett’s neck at Ace hardware. Jussie Smollett alleged two white Trump supporters violently attacked him at 2 AM in the streets of Chicago when he was walking home from Subway with a sandwich in his hand. Smollett told police the attackers were white and hurled homophobic and racial slurs at him while they beat him, poured bleach on him then put...

CHICAGO (CBS) — Jussie Smollett paid two brothers to stage an attack against him, directed them to buy items used in the alleged assault and actually rehearsed it with them, sources say. Sources say at least one of the brothers bought the rope used in the incident at Smollett’s request. The sources also say the “Empire” actor paid for the rope, which was purchased at the Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in the Ravenswood neighborhood the weekend of Jan. 25. The brothers, who were questioned by police this week before being released, were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria and were...

A key part of Jussie Smollett's story is not tracking ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ. TMZ broke many of the details of Jussie's story just hours after the attack ... the rope, the bleach, the statement by the attackers, "This is MAGA country" and also that his 2 attackers were white. We have now confirmed, the 2 Nigerian men who were picked up by police at O'Hare Airport are black. Police say the 2 men are the same ones who were captured on surveillance video around the time of the incident. Jussie told Robin Roberts this week, he's positive...

The Jussie Smollett hoax is blowing up! Multiple sources tell ABC 7 Chicago that Jussie Smollet and the 2 men who are being questioned by police staged the attack – allegedly because his character was being written out of the show Empire. As previously reported, TMZ said Thursday that Chicago police not only brought Jussie Smollett in for additional questioning, but there are two other men being questioned as “persons of interest.” One person of interest is another ‘Empire’ actor who flew into Chicago’s O’Hare airport late Wednesday night. THE ATTACKED WAS STAGED — BECAUSE SMOLLETT’S CHARACTER WAS BEING WRITTEN...

Jussie Smollett is being questioned again by Chicago PD ... and officers are also talking to another man, an actor who has also appeared on "Empire" ... TMZ has learned. Sources connected to the case tell us the actor, not Jussie, was picked up by Chicago PD Wednesday night right after he flew into O'Hare Airport. We're told Jussie was brought in Thursday morning for additional questioning. Another man who was with the actor at O'Hare was also taken in for questioning. The two individuals are being questioned as "persons of interest." Police won't say if they are the same...

Chicago police have concluded that the alleged attack on “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was staged, according to two local media reports. Police spent much of Thursday interviewing two persons of interest in the case, who are believed to have been seen on surveillance images on the night of the attack. Rob Elgas, a reporter at ABC 7 in Chicago, reported Thursday afternoon that “multiple sources” said that Smollett and the two men staged the attack because his character was being written off the show. Brad Edwards, a reporter at CBS Chicago, cited a source who said that investigators believe the...

Chicago police confirmed Thursday that detectives are talking to two persons of interest in connection with the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett. Multiple sources have told ABC7 Eyewitness News that police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of "Empire." A source familiar with the investigation told the ABC7 I-Team that Smollett failed to appear for an interview with detectives earlier Thursday. A source briefed on the Smollett investigation confirmed to ABC News that Chicago police are questioning the two persons of interest -- one of whom...

CHICAGO -- Chicago police confirmed Thursday that detectives are talking to two persons of interest in connection with the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett. Multiple sources have told ABC7 Eyewitness News that police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of "Empire." A source familiar with the investigation told the ABC7 I-Team that Smollett failed to appear for an interview with detectives earlier Thursday. A source briefed on the Smollett investigation confirmed to ABC News that Chicago police are questioning the two persons of interest -- one...

Chicago Police are still not calling the 2 people they’re questioning about #JussieSmollett suspects. #CPD says 1 was an extra on #Empire and the other was that mans friend and both are the ones seen on surveillance pic. #Smollett told #GMA men on that video were his attackers. fox 32 news has learned from Chicago Police that the 2 persons of interests they are talking to were an extra on #Empire and his close friend. They were picked up at the airport and are the ones in surveillance video.

Chicago police today are questioning two persons of interest in the Jussie Smollett hate crime investigation, according to a department spokesperson. Both are African-American. Smollett, who police say “has been questioned throughout” their investigation is also being interrogated. The persons of interest were arrested at O’Hare airport on Wednesday night, police said. Smollett said in an interview aired on Good Morning America today that he believed the two persons of interest seen in the CPD images were the persons who attacked him. "I don’t have any doubt in my mind that that’s them. Never did." TMZ reported that the persons...