All criminal charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett have been dropped and “his record has been wiped clean,” his attorneys said Tuesday in a statement. On March 14, Smollett was arrested and pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police about a hate crime. He has always maintained his innocence.
Actor #JussieSmollett said Tuesday at the courthouse, “Now I’d like nothing more than to get back to work and move on with my life. But make no mistakes, I will always continue to fight for the justice, equality, and betterment of marginalized people everywhere.”
Statement from Jussie Smollett’s attorneys
Smollett’s attorneys, Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes, issued the following statement Tuesday:
“Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped, and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgment.”
“Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case, Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim, in this case, was the only just result.
“Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends, and career.”
Holmes added during a news conference Tuesday., “We have gotten to a result which is the right result in this case and we are happy with that. He is a good, solid citizen of the city of Chicago.”
Statement from Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
“After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement Tuesday.
At the time of publishing, we hadn’t heard back from Cook County state attorney’s office regarding the ongoing investigation of Smollet’s reported attack against him.
Featured photo: Jussie Smollet IMDB
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