Jussie Smollett 'says he's innocent' at Empire cast meeting after being accused of faking hate crime

Jussie Smollett has pleaded his innocence to the cast of Empire after being arrested and charged with faking his own assault.

CNN reports that the 36-year-old met with his fellow actors on Thursday night (21 February) to discuss the charges levied against him.

While the cast were apparently expecting an admission of guilt, Smollett instead apologised and insisted claims of faking the attack are false.

The source reportedly said Smollett paraphrased his lawyer's statement, blaming the press for skewering the story. He also put blame on the "corrupt" legal system.

Smollett was meeting with the cast of Empire to discuss the season finale, which is currently being filmed. The actor was seen on set filming on Thursday.

Police allege that Smollett hired two brothers to help stage an attack on him late last month in downtown Chicago.

Smollett turned himself in Thursday to face accusations that he filed a false police report last month when he told authorities he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, police said.

Police treated Smollett as a victim until two brothers they had taken into custody for questioning last week admitted to helping him stage the attack, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson said.

It was the brothers who also explained Smollett’s alleged motive to detectives. Authorities have a check for $3,500 that Smollett paid the brothers, according to Johnson.

In a statement on Wednesday, attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson said Smollett “enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked”.

Additional reporting by agencies.