Jussie Smollett attack: Why do Chicago police want to interview the Empire star again? Is the case a hoax?

Jussie Smollett’s lawyers have denied that he had any role to play in his own racist and homophobic attack. Earlier this year the Empire actor, who is black and gay, revealed he had been a victim of a hate crime which left him briefly hospitalised.

Weeks after an initial report was filed by Smollett, rumours that he may have orchestrated his own attack have escalated.

Although exactly what happened on the night of the alleged attack remains unclear, both Smollett and his lawyers have refuted all claims that he had any prior knowledge of the incident.

As Chicago Police continue to investigate the situation, here’s what we know so far:

What happened on the day of the alleged attack?

On January 29, Jussie Smollett told authorities that he was attacked by two men who were “yelling out racial and homophobic slurs." Police were told that the two men yelled “Empire f****t” and “Empire n****r” while physically assaulting him.

Smollett also told police that a rope was put around his neck and a chemical substance poured over him. In follow-up interviews with Smollett by authorities, the actor reportedly said one of the attackers shouted “This is MAGA country,” a reference to President Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign slogan.

After the attack became public knowledge, celebrities including Alicia Keys and co-star Taraji P. Henson rallied in support of the Empire star.

“We all feel his pain right now,” wrote Henson in an Instagram post.

“@jussiesmollett is pure love to the bone AND THAT IS WHY SO MANY ARE FEELING HIS PAIN BECAUSE IT IS OUR PAIN!!! I tell you one thing HATE WILL NOT WIN!!!!”

After observing CCTV footage of the area, police found no footage of the attack that had supposedly taken place. They did, however, locate two shadowed figures spotted walking down a sidewalk in the CCTV footage.

A few days later police arrested two Nigerian men, Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo, in connection with the attack. Following further investigation by authorities, it emerged that the two brothers knew the actor, having both featured as extras on Empire.

Why do some people think the attack is actually a hoax?

Doubts about the validity of Smollett’s claims began to emerge after the brothers were released without charges on Friday, a decision which Chicago Police said was driven by the discovery of “new evidence.” Media outlets such as CBS Chicago and ABC7 ran stories suggesting Smollett may have been behind the attack.

The ABC7 article read: “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.’”

In a subsequent interview with ABC’s Good Morning America, Smollett's first since the incident took place, the actor revealed his anger over those casting doubt on his story. He 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 a lot much more, and that says a lot about the place we are in our country right now.”

He also dismissed reports that the attackers wore “Make America Great Again” hats, adding: “I never said that. I didn’t need to add anything like that. They called me a f****t, they called me a n****r. There’s no which way you cut it. I don’t need some MAGA hat as the cherry on some racist sundae.”

What have Chicago Police said?

Chicago Police are unwilling to confirm reports that the attack could have been orchestrated by Smollett.

In a tweet, Chicago Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said: “While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident.”

In response to the rumours, Smollett’s attorneys, Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, said: “As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with.

"He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”

The actor added he had been “forever changed” by the incident.

Who does Jussie Smollett play on Empire?

Smollett plays Jamal, a gay character, on the Fox hit show Empire.

The music-orientated show, which first aired on the network in 2015, follows the unconventional family drama of hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon (Terrance Howard), his three sons and estranged wife Cookie, played by Taraji P Henson.