Jussie Smollett Rehearsed His Own Assault, Prosecutors Say

Commander Wodnicki said that a lawyer for the brothers, Gloria Schmidt, came to him and said: “You really need to talk to these guys. I’m going to allow them to give you a video interview with us present and we’re going to have you hear their story. They are not offenders. They are victims.”

The men acknowledged being paid to participate in the reported assault, the investigators said. They said Mr. Smollett had been upset that people he worked with had not taken the threatening letter he received seriously. In addition they said, according to the investigators’ account, Mr. Smollett had given them $100 to buy supplies for the attack, including the rope and a red hat that would resemble one worn by Trump supporters.

While the brothers seemed to have punched Mr. Smollett, Superintendent Johnson said, “As far as we can tell, the scratches and bruising that you saw in his face was most likely self-inflicted.”

After the interview with the brothers, the detectives released them without charges. Asked about that decision, Superintendent Johnson said: “Mr. Smollett is the one who orchestrated this crime. They became cooperating witnesses.”

Almost from the beginning there was some skepticism about Mr. Smollett’s account. It grew as time progressed, though the police for weeks insisted that the actor was being viewed as a victim. Mr. Smollett acknowledged the suspicions in his first public statement about the incident, on Feb. 1, when he said, through his publicist: “I am working with authorities and have been 100 percent factual and consistent on every level. Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served.”

In a “Good Morning America” interview, broadcast on Feb. 14, Mr. Smollett said: “It feels like if I had said it was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me much more.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/arts/television/jussie-smollett-arrest-salary-letter.html?partner=rss&emc=rss