It’s a plot twist even “Empire” couldn’t come up with. All 16 felony charges against actor Jussie Smollett — who’d been accused of staging a hate crime against himself — were dropped by Chicago prosecutors, in a shock move that angered the city’s mayor and police chief.
What’s more, Smollett’s criminal record was wiped clean and records in the case were sealed, all in exchange for Smollett doing some community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bond. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson were livid. They blasted Smollett and the county attorney’s office. Emanuel repeatedly called it a “whitewash of justice.”
Smollett said he’d been vindicated and had “been truthful and consistent” from the start. Emanuel and Johnson still say the whole hate crime claim was a hoax. Even a prosecutor said he still believes Smollett lied, but prosecutors otherwise said little about why the case against the actor was tossed, leading to a host of questions, including these six. Lost track of all the dizzying turns in this story? Click here to recap and follow the latest updates here.
CNN
