Battyman actor from Empire allegedly gets jumped in Chicago; Update: Arrested for filing fake report
- Thread starter cli-terminator
- Start date
https://www.tmz.com/2019/02/25/terrence-howard-meltdown-empire-confront-jussie-smollett/
Terrence Howard had a complete meltdown on the set of "Empire" after Jussie Smollett was arrested for allegedly staging his "attack."
Sources on the "Empire" set tell TMZ ... Thursday was a complete disaster on set after Jussie turned himself into Chicago Police. Terrence was so upset he refused to come out of his trailer for most of the day.
A source close to Terrence tell us ... the actor didn't believe Jussie's account from the get-go, he felt the story never added up. We're told Terrence grilled Jussie periodically as holes began to emerge.
Tensions between Terrence and Jussie boiled over after the 2 Nigerian brothers who allegedly helped Jussie stage the attack, Abel and Ola Osundario, were detained by police ... we're told Terrence confronted Jussie once again, screaming at him to come clean.
Further illustrating his disdain for Jussie ... we're told Terrence was nowhere to be found Thursday night when Jussie addressed the cast and crew.
Terrence was not alone in his feelings ... we're told many others on the cast and crew felt Jussie was lying and ultimately that's why producers decided to remove Jussie from the set for the final 2 episodes ... it was just too disruptive.
Interestingly enough, Terrence posted a video Saturday that was seemingly in support of Jussie. The clip shows Jussie playing with Terrence's son ... and a caption that read, "All your lil homies got you... We love the hell outta you."
Nevertheless, it doesn't take away from what we know happened on Thursday.
Terrence Howard had a complete meltdown on the set of "Empire" after Jussie Smollett was arrested for allegedly staging his "attack."
Sources on the "Empire" set tell TMZ ... Thursday was a complete disaster on set after Jussie turned himself into Chicago Police. Terrence was so upset he refused to come out of his trailer for most of the day.
A source close to Terrence tell us ... the actor didn't believe Jussie's account from the get-go, he felt the story never added up. We're told Terrence grilled Jussie periodically as holes began to emerge.
Tensions between Terrence and Jussie boiled over after the 2 Nigerian brothers who allegedly helped Jussie stage the attack, Abel and Ola Osundario, were detained by police ... we're told Terrence confronted Jussie once again, screaming at him to come clean.
Further illustrating his disdain for Jussie ... we're told Terrence was nowhere to be found Thursday night when Jussie addressed the cast and crew.
Terrence was not alone in his feelings ... we're told many others on the cast and crew felt Jussie was lying and ultimately that's why producers decided to remove Jussie from the set for the final 2 episodes ... it was just too disruptive.
Interestingly enough, Terrence posted a video Saturday that was seemingly in support of Jussie. The clip shows Jussie playing with Terrence's son ... and a caption that read, "All your lil homies got you... We love the hell outta you."
Nevertheless, it doesn't take away from what we know happened on Thursday.
At this point aint much to talk about.
If jussie decides he has some shit to twist tuis shit up, then its going to court and we’ll REALLY hear whats what.
If he decides to plea out, we will know hes guilty
The CPD guy made some claims tbey will have to back up. So will Jussie.
Up til then, we’re gonna see a different article a day talking about shit we will never kmow is true or false. Good luck Jussiie.
Luscious tried to save him from this shit.......
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...PhC7hysUvp4sssgwW9xKXxtxtvIEFJNG6pyO9sC7mXa5k
No Prison For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men
She has pleaded guilty, saying she made up the story after cutting herself and her clothing.
By David Moye
A North Texas teenager who falsely claimed she was kidnapped and raped by three black men last March will likely serve no prison time.
On Thursday, 19-year-old Breana Harmon of Pottsboro pleaded guilty to four felony charges of tampering with physical evidence and government documents in relation to false reports of kidnapping and sexual assault.
“She’s very remorseful for what she did and what she said, and that’s why she decided to plead guilty,” Harmon’s attorney Bob Jarvis told the Sherman Herald Democrat. No suspects were ever identified or arrested in the case.
Harmon will be sentenced March 20. Her plea deal has two possible punishments: regular probation or deferred adjudication, which often involves fulfilling a requirement, such as treatment or community service. Neither involves prison time.
DENISON POLICE DEPARTMENT
On March 8, 2017, Harmon was reported missing to the Denison Police Department after witnesses noticed the door to her vehicle was open with personal items, including a phone and keys, scattered on the ground.
A few hours later, Harmon walked into a church wearing only a shirt, bra and underwear. She said she had been kidnapped by three black males wearing ski masks, according to the Sherman Herald Democrat. Harmon claimed the men assaulted her and that she was raped by two men while a third held her down.
Investigators noticed inconsistencies in Harmon’s story within in a few days. Medical workers didn’t find evidence she had been raped, and the holes in a pair of blue jeans discovered at the alleged crime scene didn’t match her injuries, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“The puzzle pieces just weren’t coming together,” Denison Police Chief Jay Burch said, according to the Morning News.
Harmon told police two weeks later that she made up the rape and that cuts on her body were self-inflicted.
She told officers that she was upset after she and her fiancé had been fighting, according to the Herald Democrat. Harmon said she cut herself and her clothes, then made up the rape story because she didn’t want her family to be angry with her.
Burch said Harmon’s false allegations have hurt the community, especially its African-American residents.
“Breana [Harmon’s] hoax was also insulting to our community and especially offensive to the African-American community due to her description of the so-called suspects in her hoax,” Burch said, according to the Herald Democrat. “The anger and hurt caused from such a hoax are difficult and all so unnecessary.”
No Prison For Texas Teen Who Lied About Being Raped By 3 Black Men
She has pleaded guilty, saying she made up the story after cutting herself and her clothing.
By David Moye
19k
A North Texas teenager who falsely claimed she was kidnapped and raped by three black men last March will likely serve no prison time.
On Thursday, 19-year-old Breana Harmon of Pottsboro pleaded guilty to four felony charges of tampering with physical evidence and government documents in relation to false reports of kidnapping and sexual assault.
“She’s very remorseful for what she did and what she said, and that’s why she decided to plead guilty,” Harmon’s attorney Bob Jarvis told the Sherman Herald Democrat. No suspects were ever identified or arrested in the case.
Harmon will be sentenced March 20. Her plea deal has two possible punishments: regular probation or deferred adjudication, which often involves fulfilling a requirement, such as treatment or community service. Neither involves prison time.
DENISON POLICE DEPARTMENT
On March 8, 2017, Harmon was reported missing to the Denison Police Department after witnesses noticed the door to her vehicle was open with personal items, including a phone and keys, scattered on the ground.
A few hours later, Harmon walked into a church wearing only a shirt, bra and underwear. She said she had been kidnapped by three black males wearing ski masks, according to the Sherman Herald Democrat. Harmon claimed the men assaulted her and that she was raped by two men while a third held her down.
Investigators noticed inconsistencies in Harmon’s story within in a few days. Medical workers didn’t find evidence she had been raped, and the holes in a pair of blue jeans discovered at the alleged crime scene didn’t match her injuries, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“The puzzle pieces just weren’t coming together,” Denison Police Chief Jay Burch said, according to the Morning News.
Harmon told police two weeks later that she made up the rape and that cuts on her body were self-inflicted.
She told officers that she was upset after she and her fiancé had been fighting, according to the Herald Democrat. Harmon said she cut herself and her clothes, then made up the rape story because she didn’t want her family to be angry with her.
Burch said Harmon’s false allegations have hurt the community, especially its African-American residents.
“Breana [Harmon’s] hoax was also insulting to our community and especially offensive to the African-American community due to her description of the so-called suspects in her hoax,” Burch said, according to the Herald Democrat. “The anger and hurt caused from such a hoax are difficult and all so unnecessary.”
Terrence Howard reportedly told Jussie Smollett to come clean
By Ruth Brown
February 25, 2019 | 1:32pm
Enlarge Image
Jussie Smollett and Terrence HowardGetty Images
Terrence Howard screamed at co-star Jussie Smollett to come clean about his hate crime claims — then locked himself in his trailer on the set of “Empire” Thursday after the actor was arrested, according to a new report.
Howard had long been suspicious about the 36-year-old’s claim that he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago last month — and periodically confronted him about inconsistencies in his story as the investigation unfolded, TMZ reports.
Then, when Olabinjo Osundairo — who worked as an extra on “Empire” — and his brother Abimbola were arrested as possible attackers earlier this month, Howard blew up at Smollett and told him to confess, sources from the set tell the site.
When Smollett himself was arrested last week for allegedly filing a false report after paying the brothers to stage the attack, Howard had a meltdown on set and refused to come out of his trailer for most of the day, according to TMZ.
Smollett returned to the set that night to apologize and profess his innocence, but his TV dad was nowhere to be seen, the site reports.
Nevertheless, Howard defended Smollett in an Instagram post over the weekend, saying: “The Jussie I know could never even conceive of something so unconscious and ugly. His innocence or judgment is not for any of us to decide.”
By Ruth Brown
February 25, 2019 | 1:32pm
Enlarge Image
Jussie Smollett and Terrence HowardGetty Images
Terrence Howard screamed at co-star Jussie Smollett to come clean about his hate crime claims — then locked himself in his trailer on the set of “Empire” Thursday after the actor was arrested, according to a new report.
Howard had long been suspicious about the 36-year-old’s claim that he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago last month — and periodically confronted him about inconsistencies in his story as the investigation unfolded, TMZ reports.
Then, when Olabinjo Osundairo — who worked as an extra on “Empire” — and his brother Abimbola were arrested as possible attackers earlier this month, Howard blew up at Smollett and told him to confess, sources from the set tell the site.
When Smollett himself was arrested last week for allegedly filing a false report after paying the brothers to stage the attack, Howard had a meltdown on set and refused to come out of his trailer for most of the day, according to TMZ.
Smollett returned to the set that night to apologize and profess his innocence, but his TV dad was nowhere to be seen, the site reports.
Nevertheless, Howard defended Smollett in an Instagram post over the weekend, saying: “The Jussie I know could never even conceive of something so unconscious and ugly. His innocence or judgment is not for any of us to decide.”
However, sources connected to the Empire star maintain that Smollett paid for five weeks of training and a meal plan. The actor/singer wanted to help get his body in shape for a new music video. According to TMZ, the memo line reads, “5 week Nutrition/Workout program Don’t Go.”
Sources connected to case say the $3500 breaks down as follows: $600 a week for a 5-week workout plan and $100 a week for a five-week nutrition plan.
After investigators pieced together texts messages between the actor and the brothers, as well as CCTV and ride-shares, police uncovered evidence that they said showed that Smollett orchestrated the attack on himself.
https://thegrio.com/2019/02/24/juss...K2QHrTBcv9xJs3X3eQ2dzBv3nKpSDtXLyQGfS7efAS1xY
Sources connected to case say the $3500 breaks down as follows: $600 a week for a 5-week workout plan and $100 a week for a five-week nutrition plan.
After investigators pieced together texts messages between the actor and the brothers, as well as CCTV and ride-shares, police uncovered evidence that they said showed that Smollett orchestrated the attack on himself.
https://thegrio.com/2019/02/24/juss...K2QHrTBcv9xJs3X3eQ2dzBv3nKpSDtXLyQGfS7efAS1xY
Funny,how nobody is calling out the fuckery from gay people and the people that side with them...
50 pages of our talking about Jussie and no "wait for the evidence to show what is what"
Ok.
A lot has happened since I was last here.
BUT
What about the 'training'? Like I said, I will hold out until all the evidence is there. But, that piece just seemed strange. Now it looks like he knew them for a different reason, and the brothers decided to gank him.
Dunno.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/im-break-jussie-smollett-pressure-hollywood-fame-1190649
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...ods-history-alleged-hate-crime-hoaxes-1191005
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...thers-involved-have-tremendous-regret-1191684
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ellen-page-jussie-smollett-fallout-guest-column-1191006
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...ods-history-alleged-hate-crime-hoaxes-1191005
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/n...thers-involved-have-tremendous-regret-1191684
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ellen-page-jussie-smollett-fallout-guest-column-1191006
Jussie Smollett case: Brothers apologize for roles in alleged fake attack
Maria Puente, USA TODAYPublished 12:22 p.m. ET March 1, 2019 | Updated 3:33 p.m. ET March 1, 2019
Speaking at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, KiKi Layne, Billy Porter and more agree that more information is needed before they form an opinion on the Jussie Smollett case. (Feb. 22) AP
CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
The two brothers who allegedly helped "Empire" star Jussie Smollett stage a fake homophobic and racist street assault in Chicago say they have "tremendous regret" about it and know the impact it will have on true victims of hate crimes.
USA TODAY obtained a statement from Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo Friday from their attorney, Chicago lawyer Gloria Schmidt.
“My clients have tremendous regret over their involvement in this situation, and they understand how it has impacted people across the nation, particularly minority communities and especially those who have been victims of hate crimes themselves,” the statement read.
The Osundairo brothers were originally considered suspects in the early-morning beating Smollett told police he suffered in a downtown Chicago neighborhood on Jan. 29.
Smollett told police his attackers shouted racist and homophobic slurs and referred to "MAGA," President Trump's political slogan, Make America Great Again.
The brothers were arrested on Feb. 15, detained and interrogated for nearly 48 hours, and finally told police that Smollett had paid them to stage the attack. Police released them without charges.
On Feb. 20, police charged him with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report. He pleaded not guilty.
On Feb. 21, at a blistering press conference, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters that Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 to stage the attack to look like a hate crime in order to "take advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."
Now the brothers are apologizing for their alleged role in the episode. Earlier, on Feb. 18, they also issued a statement in response to inaccurate media reports about their views and citizenship.
BY ULTHERAPY
Give skin a second chance
See more →
"We are not racist. We are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump," the brothers told CBS in Chicago. "We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens."
The brothers, who are bodybuilders and also work as trainers, were well acquainted with Smollett because Abel Osundairo, 25, worked on “Empire” as a stand-in for a character that was Smollett’s character’s love interest on the show, according to prosecutors.
The brothers worked out with Smollett and one served as his personal trainer, according to Smollett's attorneys. Prosecutors said Abel occasionally sold the drugs to Smollett.
Ola Osundairo also is an actor, having appeared on "Chicago P.D." and in "The Worst Nightmare," according to his IMDb page.
Maria Puente, USA TODAYPublished 12:22 p.m. ET March 1, 2019 | Updated 3:33 p.m. ET March 1, 2019
Speaking at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, KiKi Layne, Billy Porter and more agree that more information is needed before they form an opinion on the Jussie Smollett case. (Feb. 22) AP
CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
The two brothers who allegedly helped "Empire" star Jussie Smollett stage a fake homophobic and racist street assault in Chicago say they have "tremendous regret" about it and know the impact it will have on true victims of hate crimes.
USA TODAY obtained a statement from Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo Friday from their attorney, Chicago lawyer Gloria Schmidt.
“My clients have tremendous regret over their involvement in this situation, and they understand how it has impacted people across the nation, particularly minority communities and especially those who have been victims of hate crimes themselves,” the statement read.
The Osundairo brothers were originally considered suspects in the early-morning beating Smollett told police he suffered in a downtown Chicago neighborhood on Jan. 29.
Smollett told police his attackers shouted racist and homophobic slurs and referred to "MAGA," President Trump's political slogan, Make America Great Again.
The brothers were arrested on Feb. 15, detained and interrogated for nearly 48 hours, and finally told police that Smollett had paid them to stage the attack. Police released them without charges.
On Feb. 20, police charged him with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report. He pleaded not guilty.
On Feb. 21, at a blistering press conference, Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters that Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 to stage the attack to look like a hate crime in order to "take advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."
Now the brothers are apologizing for their alleged role in the episode. Earlier, on Feb. 18, they also issued a statement in response to inaccurate media reports about their views and citizenship.
BY ULTHERAPY
Give skin a second chance
See more →
"We are not racist. We are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump," the brothers told CBS in Chicago. "We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens."
The brothers, who are bodybuilders and also work as trainers, were well acquainted with Smollett because Abel Osundairo, 25, worked on “Empire” as a stand-in for a character that was Smollett’s character’s love interest on the show, according to prosecutors.
The brothers worked out with Smollett and one served as his personal trainer, according to Smollett's attorneys. Prosecutors said Abel occasionally sold the drugs to Smollett.
Ola Osundairo also is an actor, having appeared on "Chicago P.D." and in "The Worst Nightmare," according to his IMDb page.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/201...s-so-furious-about-the-jussie-smollett-affair
“ACTIVISTS MASQUERADING AS JOURNALISTS”: WHY THE RIGHT-WING MEDIA IS SO FURIOUS ABOUT THE JUSSIE SMOLLETT AFFAIR
A rush to judgment was endemic on the left. But the Smollett episode also exposes a complementary phenomenon on the right, specifically an ever-simmering resentment at being labeled the party of bigotry, or racial grievance, or discrimination, which many conservatives reject as a form of discrimination itself.
BY
FEBRUARY 19, 2019 8:27 PM
by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.
As evidence piled up suggesting Empire actor Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime against himself—one in which two alleged assailants poured bleach on him, called him racist and homophobic slurs, and yelled “this is MAGA country”—many of his most vocal defenders on the left went silent. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quietly deleted a supportive tweet. Cory Booker, who previously called the attack an “attempted modern-day lynching,” declined to comment on new developments, as did Kamala Harris. “I think the facts are still unfolding, and I’m very concerned,” she told a reporter at a New Hampshire town hall, after taking several painfully long seconds to formulate a response. (Smollett, whose case went before a grand jury on Tuesday, maintains his innocence, while his alleged attackers have been released by police.)
Conservatives seized on the awkwardness, with many baldly vindicated at Smollett’s seeming duplicity, and incensed that his story had been leveraged to bash Trump and his supporters. “The reason [the right] is dunking on media pundits and activists masquerading as journalists over this [is] because it shows just how full of shit this new era of ‘facts-first journalism’ is,” said Stephen L. Miller, a conservative media columnist. “We know there are no consequences for Harris or Booker calling this a lynching. We know there will be no apology from Ellen Page or Stephen Colbert.”
This may be an oversimplification. After all, expressions of sympathy are far different from reportorial inquiry. And the mainstream media’s very investigation into the matter, however delinquent, is proof of a commitment to nonpartisan truth-telling. Nevertheless, many right-wing pundits remain aggrieved and frustrated by the matter, seemingly viewing it as proof that different standards of veracity apply to anti-Trump coverage than pro-Trump reporting. “There was no conservative angle,” said the influential conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. “I mean, people were hoping the story was true, and then they could jump on Republicans for not having been quick enough to embrace the story. That’s what happened here. And that’s a bad tendency. The story itself was not supremely credible from the very first. It was perfectly tailored to fit a narrative. And maybe it was true, and maybe it wasn’t. But when a story is thatperfectly tailored to fit a narrative”—there were initially reports floating around that the assailants were wearing MAGA hats—“you have to start asking whether it was actually filled in to fit the narrative.”
Watch Now:
The 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
The Smollett episode, of course, is also a window into a complementary phenomenon on the right, specifically an ever-simmering resentment at being labeled the party of bigotry, or racial grievance, or discrimination, which many conservatives reject as a form of discrimination itself. The opportunity to take the rare, public victory lap, then, was irresistible for some. As Quillette editor Andy Ngo noted in an extensive Twitter thread, conservative writers and journalists have been keeping tabs on fabricated hate crimes for years, most notably the Duke lacrosse scandal and the U.V.A.-Rolling Stone affair. The Covington Catholic High School fracas, in which a white male teenager faced off in a video against a Native American activist, quickly devolved into a political version of Rashomon, in which several prominent pundits ultimately apologized for rushing to judgment.
But the Smollett case was one of the most egregious examples that Ngo had observed to date. “He is a well-connected celebrity and political activist—in other words, very privileged... His celebrity friends are numerous,” Ngo told me in an e-mail. “The influencer ecosystem was able to amplify his fake story to millions and millions of people across the globe.” Daily Beast senior columnist Matt Lewis, formerly of the Daily Caller, made a similar point. “Victim status [has become] the pinnacle of moral authority” in the culture, he told me. “It’s not surprising to me that people are treating themselves as victims specifically, or members of a victim class. So I think that conservatives are cognizant of media confirmation bias, and the desire for people to get attention, and to treat themselves as beyond reproach.”
Indeed, for days, the story was pure woke-bait, prompting journalists to write long pieces condemning the seeming Trump-fueled motivations behind the attack, and leading activist-politicians to target reporters who, lacking further evidence, had packed their earlier stories with qualifiers. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Entertainment Tonight after it tweeted that Smollett was “possibl[y]” the victim of a “homophobic and racially charged attack.” “This attack was not ‘possibly’ homophobic. It was a racist and homophobic attack,” the congresswoman tweeted, adding: “It is no one’s job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes.” Activist Deray McKesson accused a local Chicago reporter of acting as a mouthpiece for the Chicago Police Department. GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis, meanwhile, claimed Smollett was “doubly victimized as the subject of speculation by the media industry and broader culture.” (None of these figures have commented on Smollett since the case began to unravel.)
Yet as Brian Stelter has pointed out, attacks on supposed liberal bias can be equally knee-jerk and convenient. The media, as he put it in a recent newsletter, is not “one big blog,” but comprised of “thousands of outlets and hundreds of thousands of people, with great journalists and lazy aggregators, with no single mission or belief system.” In Hollywood, many of Smollett’s defenders are now honestly and publicly grappling with the possibility that he fabricated the attack. (“I feel like he fucked up Black History Month, bro,” said Cardi B. “Goddam.”) While Democratic politicians have remained mostly quiet, mainstream media outlets have worked diligently, if in some cases belatedly, to report on new developments.
What Smollett himself might have been attempting to accomplish is still unclear. Some accounts intimate he was upset after the Empire studio received an earlier racist and homophobic letter that was disregarded. Perhaps, as others have suggested, he hoped to advance his own career. However it shakes out, conservatives are frustrated that they couldn’t interrogate the alleged attack without facing criticism. “The way this works is that we’ve now reached a state where if you say, ‘I have some questions about the veracity of the story,’ then you are immediately labeled the person who didn’t take seriously the original allegations,” said Shapiro. “So you don’t care about any crimes unless you believe Jussie Smollett and believe all of that night.” Those on the left should be frustrated, too. If Smollett did report a fake crime, he did an incredible disservice to the thousands of people who are victims of real hate crimes every year. Amid a culture war that is tearing America apart at the seams, he may have taken advantage of a woke generation that defaults to believing victims and is trying, in fits and starts, to create a safer and more tolerant world.
“ACTIVISTS MASQUERADING AS JOURNALISTS”: WHY THE RIGHT-WING MEDIA IS SO FURIOUS ABOUT THE JUSSIE SMOLLETT AFFAIR
A rush to judgment was endemic on the left. But the Smollett episode also exposes a complementary phenomenon on the right, specifically an ever-simmering resentment at being labeled the party of bigotry, or racial grievance, or discrimination, which many conservatives reject as a form of discrimination itself.
BY
FEBRUARY 19, 2019 8:27 PM
by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.
As evidence piled up suggesting Empire actor Jussie Smollett staged a hate crime against himself—one in which two alleged assailants poured bleach on him, called him racist and homophobic slurs, and yelled “this is MAGA country”—many of his most vocal defenders on the left went silent. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quietly deleted a supportive tweet. Cory Booker, who previously called the attack an “attempted modern-day lynching,” declined to comment on new developments, as did Kamala Harris. “I think the facts are still unfolding, and I’m very concerned,” she told a reporter at a New Hampshire town hall, after taking several painfully long seconds to formulate a response. (Smollett, whose case went before a grand jury on Tuesday, maintains his innocence, while his alleged attackers have been released by police.)
Conservatives seized on the awkwardness, with many baldly vindicated at Smollett’s seeming duplicity, and incensed that his story had been leveraged to bash Trump and his supporters. “The reason [the right] is dunking on media pundits and activists masquerading as journalists over this [is] because it shows just how full of shit this new era of ‘facts-first journalism’ is,” said Stephen L. Miller, a conservative media columnist. “We know there are no consequences for Harris or Booker calling this a lynching. We know there will be no apology from Ellen Page or Stephen Colbert.”
This may be an oversimplification. After all, expressions of sympathy are far different from reportorial inquiry. And the mainstream media’s very investigation into the matter, however delinquent, is proof of a commitment to nonpartisan truth-telling. Nevertheless, many right-wing pundits remain aggrieved and frustrated by the matter, seemingly viewing it as proof that different standards of veracity apply to anti-Trump coverage than pro-Trump reporting. “There was no conservative angle,” said the influential conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. “I mean, people were hoping the story was true, and then they could jump on Republicans for not having been quick enough to embrace the story. That’s what happened here. And that’s a bad tendency. The story itself was not supremely credible from the very first. It was perfectly tailored to fit a narrative. And maybe it was true, and maybe it wasn’t. But when a story is thatperfectly tailored to fit a narrative”—there were initially reports floating around that the assailants were wearing MAGA hats—“you have to start asking whether it was actually filled in to fit the narrative.”
Watch Now:
The 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
The Smollett episode, of course, is also a window into a complementary phenomenon on the right, specifically an ever-simmering resentment at being labeled the party of bigotry, or racial grievance, or discrimination, which many conservatives reject as a form of discrimination itself. The opportunity to take the rare, public victory lap, then, was irresistible for some. As Quillette editor Andy Ngo noted in an extensive Twitter thread, conservative writers and journalists have been keeping tabs on fabricated hate crimes for years, most notably the Duke lacrosse scandal and the U.V.A.-Rolling Stone affair. The Covington Catholic High School fracas, in which a white male teenager faced off in a video against a Native American activist, quickly devolved into a political version of Rashomon, in which several prominent pundits ultimately apologized for rushing to judgment.
But the Smollett case was one of the most egregious examples that Ngo had observed to date. “He is a well-connected celebrity and political activist—in other words, very privileged... His celebrity friends are numerous,” Ngo told me in an e-mail. “The influencer ecosystem was able to amplify his fake story to millions and millions of people across the globe.” Daily Beast senior columnist Matt Lewis, formerly of the Daily Caller, made a similar point. “Victim status [has become] the pinnacle of moral authority” in the culture, he told me. “It’s not surprising to me that people are treating themselves as victims specifically, or members of a victim class. So I think that conservatives are cognizant of media confirmation bias, and the desire for people to get attention, and to treat themselves as beyond reproach.”
Indeed, for days, the story was pure woke-bait, prompting journalists to write long pieces condemning the seeming Trump-fueled motivations behind the attack, and leading activist-politicians to target reporters who, lacking further evidence, had packed their earlier stories with qualifiers. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Entertainment Tonight after it tweeted that Smollett was “possibl[y]” the victim of a “homophobic and racially charged attack.” “This attack was not ‘possibly’ homophobic. It was a racist and homophobic attack,” the congresswoman tweeted, adding: “It is no one’s job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes.” Activist Deray McKesson accused a local Chicago reporter of acting as a mouthpiece for the Chicago Police Department. GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis, meanwhile, claimed Smollett was “doubly victimized as the subject of speculation by the media industry and broader culture.” (None of these figures have commented on Smollett since the case began to unravel.)
Yet as Brian Stelter has pointed out, attacks on supposed liberal bias can be equally knee-jerk and convenient. The media, as he put it in a recent newsletter, is not “one big blog,” but comprised of “thousands of outlets and hundreds of thousands of people, with great journalists and lazy aggregators, with no single mission or belief system.” In Hollywood, many of Smollett’s defenders are now honestly and publicly grappling with the possibility that he fabricated the attack. (“I feel like he fucked up Black History Month, bro,” said Cardi B. “Goddam.”) While Democratic politicians have remained mostly quiet, mainstream media outlets have worked diligently, if in some cases belatedly, to report on new developments.
What Smollett himself might have been attempting to accomplish is still unclear. Some accounts intimate he was upset after the Empire studio received an earlier racist and homophobic letter that was disregarded. Perhaps, as others have suggested, he hoped to advance his own career. However it shakes out, conservatives are frustrated that they couldn’t interrogate the alleged attack without facing criticism. “The way this works is that we’ve now reached a state where if you say, ‘I have some questions about the veracity of the story,’ then you are immediately labeled the person who didn’t take seriously the original allegations,” said Shapiro. “So you don’t care about any crimes unless you believe Jussie Smollett and believe all of that night.” Those on the left should be frustrated, too. If Smollett did report a fake crime, he did an incredible disservice to the thousands of people who are victims of real hate crimes every year. Amid a culture war that is tearing America apart at the seams, he may have taken advantage of a woke generation that defaults to believing victims and is trying, in fits and starts, to create a safer and more tolerant world.
EVEN NANCY PELOSI HAS WADED INTO THE JUSSIE SMOLLETT FIASCO
After Chicago police suggested Smollett might have staged his own attack, Pelosi deleted her tweet about the incident. “Given the turn in the investigation, we decided to no longer amplify the original accusation,” a spokesman told Vanity Fair. “We should all be united in fighting racism and homophobia.”
BY
FEBRUARY 18, 2019 12:52 PM
Left, by Mark Wilson/Getty Images; Right, by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images.
The saga of Empire star Jussie Smollett’s attack has taken numerous turns, and support for the actor is beginning to wane. As evidence mounts that Smollett may have paid two acquaintances to carry out the alleged racist and homophobic attack that created a wave of media attention, even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has revoked her sympathies.
Back on January 29, when word of Smollett’s ordeal first broke, Pelosi tweeted, “The racist, homophobic attack on @JussieSmollett is an affront to our humanity. No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love. I pray that Jussie has a speedy recovery & that justice is served. May we all commit to ending this hate once & for all.” As initially reported by Business Insider, that tweet has now been deleted.
Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, confirmed that the tweet was intentionally taken down. “As the Speaker who passed the fully inclusive Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, we spoke out because this appeared to be a deeply troubling incident of violence motivated against vulnerable communities,” Hammill told me. “Given the turn in the investigation, we decided to no longer amplify the original accusation. Following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation, we will comment further. We should all be united in fighting racism and homophobia.”
Watch Now:
The 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Last week, the Chicago Police Department arrested brothers Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo on suspicion of involvement in the attack, only to release the pair days later citing “new evidence.” It has since emerged that the Osundairo brothers occasionally associated with Smollett in their work on the Empire set, and the police have stated that their interrogation produced information that “shifted the trajectory of the investigation.” Smollett’s attorneys have vehemently denied their client staged the attack, though the star has not yet agreed to a follow-up interview requested by Chicago police.
As of yet, few notable figures have explicitly revoked their support for Smollett. Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney tweeted on Sunday, “I believe and stand by @JussieSmollett. Keep your head up,” while director Ava DuVernay called into question the Chicago police department’s trustworthiness.
Ava DuVernay
✔@ava
https://twitter.com/ava/status/1097213384162914304
Despite the inconsistencies, I can’t blindly believe Chicago PD. The department that covered up shooting Laquan McDonald over a dozen times? That operated an off-site torture facility? That one? I’ll wait. Whatever the outcome, this won’t stop me from believing others. It can’t.
26.8K
2:17 PM - Feb 17, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
6,456 people are talking about this
Conservative figures have capitalized on questions surrounding the case, which was originally said to involve suspects wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and shouting “This is MAGA Country!” (Smollett denied making those claims). Donald Trump Jr. spent a portion of Sunday tweeting at celebrities and political figures including Kamala Harris to revoke their support for Smollett, though Pelosi wasn’t among his targets.
After Chicago police suggested Smollett might have staged his own attack, Pelosi deleted her tweet about the incident. “Given the turn in the investigation, we decided to no longer amplify the original accusation,” a spokesman told Vanity Fair. “We should all be united in fighting racism and homophobia.”
BY
FEBRUARY 18, 2019 12:52 PM
Left, by Mark Wilson/Getty Images; Right, by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images.
The saga of Empire star Jussie Smollett’s attack has taken numerous turns, and support for the actor is beginning to wane. As evidence mounts that Smollett may have paid two acquaintances to carry out the alleged racist and homophobic attack that created a wave of media attention, even House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has revoked her sympathies.
Back on January 29, when word of Smollett’s ordeal first broke, Pelosi tweeted, “The racist, homophobic attack on @JussieSmollett is an affront to our humanity. No one should be attacked for who they are or whom they love. I pray that Jussie has a speedy recovery & that justice is served. May we all commit to ending this hate once & for all.” As initially reported by Business Insider, that tweet has now been deleted.
Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, confirmed that the tweet was intentionally taken down. “As the Speaker who passed the fully inclusive Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, we spoke out because this appeared to be a deeply troubling incident of violence motivated against vulnerable communities,” Hammill told me. “Given the turn in the investigation, we decided to no longer amplify the original accusation. Following the conclusion of the ongoing investigation, we will comment further. We should all be united in fighting racism and homophobia.”
Watch Now:
The 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party
Last week, the Chicago Police Department arrested brothers Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo on suspicion of involvement in the attack, only to release the pair days later citing “new evidence.” It has since emerged that the Osundairo brothers occasionally associated with Smollett in their work on the Empire set, and the police have stated that their interrogation produced information that “shifted the trajectory of the investigation.” Smollett’s attorneys have vehemently denied their client staged the attack, though the star has not yet agreed to a follow-up interview requested by Chicago police.
As of yet, few notable figures have explicitly revoked their support for Smollett. Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney tweeted on Sunday, “I believe and stand by @JussieSmollett. Keep your head up,” while director Ava DuVernay called into question the Chicago police department’s trustworthiness.
Ava DuVernay
✔@ava
https://twitter.com/ava/status/1097213384162914304
Despite the inconsistencies, I can’t blindly believe Chicago PD. The department that covered up shooting Laquan McDonald over a dozen times? That operated an off-site torture facility? That one? I’ll wait. Whatever the outcome, this won’t stop me from believing others. It can’t.
26.8K
2:17 PM - Feb 17, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
6,456 people are talking about this
Conservative figures have capitalized on questions surrounding the case, which was originally said to involve suspects wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and shouting “This is MAGA Country!” (Smollett denied making those claims). Donald Trump Jr. spent a portion of Sunday tweeting at celebrities and political figures including Kamala Harris to revoke their support for Smollett, though Pelosi wasn’t among his targets.
Fuck talking politics on social media accounts tied to your name. Unless you're a sheep, you going to have an opinion that don't go with the group. When that happens, you attacked -- relentlessly. Is it worth it? Social media to me is for business. Period. That mindset will keep you out of trouble.
Also, what might be an 'in' political thought now might not be one in 5-10 years. Then some agitator will dig up your old post and ruin your life.
If it wasn't for BGOL, I wouldn't talk politics online. Fuck these social media bubble worlds.
She didn't know what her social media manager tweeted.
I've learned that the hard way unfortunately. Right now, its about my family, and my car. Everything else is white noise to be honest.
So what's his status?
He's out on bail right?
Does he have a court date?
I'm surprised he hasn't come out
yet with outrage of everyone saying
he made it up... or a confession.
This shit is weird.
He's out on bail right?
Does he have a court date?
I'm surprised he hasn't come out
yet with outrage of everyone saying
he made it up... or a confession.
This shit is weird.
The most bitch ass nigga alive.This grandstanding bitch ass pig still making his media rounds huh?
Similar threads
