Source: Scott Olson / Getty Superintendent Eddie Johnson Speaks On Jussie Smollett Arrest Jussie Smollett turned himself in to the Chicago police this morning to answer to charges of disorderly conduct and filing a false police report, the latter of which is a felony. A few hours later, Superintendent Eddie Johnson held a press conference where he laid out some of the police department’s findings and explained his frustration with what he calls a “concocted story”. What do you think? Are you still holding on to hope that Jussie can explain all of the inconsistencies in his story? Do you think the CPD is lying out their a$$?
If you’re the type of person who revels in witnessing the comeuppance of those who have committed unforgivable acts, then this is the week for you. Ladder-climbing celebs are tumbling down to the bottom rung left and right, and the latest career casualty is Kylie Jenner’s best friend, Jordyn Woods. As you may have heard — at this point, we’re not sure if there’s anyone who hasn’t heard — Jordyn hooked up with Tristan Thompson at a Los Angeles-area houseparty on February 17. This presented a problem, as Tristan was still in a relationship with baby mama Khloe Kardashian at the time of said hookup. Interestingly, sources close to the family say Khloe’s not terribly upset with the situation, as her relationship with Tristan was on the verge of fizzling out anyway. So Khloe is finally done with Tristan , and it seems she’s glad to be free of the burden. And given how frequently he cheated on her, we find it hard to believe that Tristan is too upset by that development. In fact, it’s beginning to look like the only member of this love triangle with anything to lose was Jordyn. As we reported yesterday, Jordyn was living with Kylie at the time of her ill-conceived act of betrayal. Not surprisingly, she was promptly kicked to the curb by her billionaire bestie. According to a new report published by TMZ on Thursday, Jordyn has a lot in common with other folks her age, as she has now moved back in with her mom. But instead of graduating from her local state college with a communications degree that qualifies her for nothing more than running the fryer at Taco Bell, Jordyn has been kicked out of a lavish paradise where she never had to work, and everything was provided for her. And what could have possessed the 21-year-old to take such a foolish risk? Well, as we learned earlier this week, when Khloe confronted her, Jordyn claimed she was too drunk to remember hooking up with Tristan. Blaming it on the alcohol might work when you eat your roommate’s leftovers — but not when you sleep with a man who’s in a relationship with your BFF’s sister. Well, at least Jordyn will have plenty of time to think about what she’s done. Like every Wednesday when she’s forced to go drive around for an hour while her mom’s book club meets in the living room. View Slideshow: Khloe Kardashian: Tristan Thompson CONFESSED to Banging Jordyn Woods! (And It Was All Caught on Camera?!)
After over 10 months of hoping, fans got their wish: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson have split . The final straw was when Tristan was caught with family friend Jordyn Woods. But it turns out that Tristan was seen stepping out with two different women days before he hooked up with Jordyn. We had already discussed reports that Tristan Thompson was flirting with fans last week, and even on Valentine’s Day itself. But aside from innuendo, we didn’t really know for sure that he’d pushed things further than that. But The Daily Mail reports that Tristan was seen taking two young women into a bedroom. The venue? A late-night singles’ party. The date? Valentine’s Day. Apparently, the 27-year-old NBA star partied with these two young women at a mansion in Los Angeles. As you may recall, he was in town — ostensibly to be closer to Khloe on Valentine’s Day. Clearly, that didn’t work out. According to a source at the party, all three “were drunk, holding hands, and giggling.” “And,” the insider continues. “They all went upstairs.” All told, they were apparently out of sight for 35 minutes. “One was Latina with brown hair,” the insider characterizes. “While the other,” the source describes. “Looked Middle Eastern.” “She resembled Khloe,” the insider says. “But had a different type of body.” (Note: Khloe is Armenian. The adult Kardashians are all white, though a number of Kris’ grandchildren are not) Now, this inside source did not follow Tristan to confirm what he and the two giggling women got up to. A guard was apparently posted at the bottom of the stairs to keep voyeurs and opportunistic photographers from interrupting any hook-ups. It would be really helpful if we had a timeline of precisely when Khloe and Tristan were really, truly done. This is not the only time that Tristan has been spotted with other women. In fact, it was reported that Khloe believes that Tristan cheated over the holidays. That would be consistent with some of the vagueposting that she has been up to over the past few months. To further confuse things, Khloe received a sizable red and pink rose floral arrangement as a Valentine’s Day gift from Tristan. Did he send her flowers and cheat on her on the same day? Was he just being polite and sending flowers to his baby mama? Or had he ordered the arrangement ages ago and not bothered to cancel it after Khloe dumped him? Maybe their breakup was in a gray area, like being on a “break,” but Tristan and Khloe had different ideas of what that meant. Those are all possibilities … but none of them explain why the entire Kardashian clan is turning their backs on Jordyn Woods. If Tristan was already cheating, and especially if he was already broken up with Khloe, why is Kylie BFF evicting Jordyn Woods from her home ? Tristan Thompson didn’t just cheat on Khloe left and right and then lead her on for the better part of a year. He tore apart a beautiful best friendship between Kylie and Jordyn that had endured longer than his ill-conceived romance with Khloe. (But hey, at least Khloe got adorable baby True out of the deal) That said, not all of this can be laid at Tristan’s feet. Without the Kardashians directly and explicitly addressing this scandal, it is difficult to understand why they’re so pissed at Jordyn. Is it just the principle of hooking up with an ex? Because that’s fair, but not enough to cut someone out of your life. View Slideshow: Jordyn Woods: Who is Kylie Jenner’s BFF (and Khloe’s Home-Wrecker)?!
Late last month, it was reported that Empire star Jussie Smollett was attacked while walking home to his Chicago apartment. After what appeared to be a brutal, racially motivated hate crime, the reaction among fans was one of shock and disgust. Today, many are experiencing those same feelings – but for a very different reason – following an equally shocking report. Police suspect that Smollett staged the attack , and this isn't just a run of the mill conspiracy theory originating on 4Chan. Real evidence is beginning to mount suggesting that the incident actually may have been some sort of bizarre PR stunt. Many questions remain about why Smollett would go to such bizarre extremes and, if he did, just how he pulled it off. This is a developing story, but here's a look at everything we know so far about this increasingly bizarre situation. UPDATE: Smollett has now been arrested for falsifying a police report. We've updated this slideshow to include the latest on what has become a disturbing and confounding situation… 1. From Victim Smollett told police that on January 29, he was attacked on a Chicago street by two white men wearing “Make America Great Again” hats. 2. To Suspect It was revealed this week that police believe Smollett “potentially staged the attack,” a source tells CBS 2 News in Chicago. 3. Closing In Police raided the home of two persons of interest in the case on Wednesday night. 4. Items of Interest Investigators seized several items linked to the allegedly staged attack, including “bleach, shoes, electronics, receipts.” 5. Mounting Evidence To the chagrin of fans, a police source confirmed Thursday night that “indicators point to Smollett orchestrating the event.” 6. The Accomplices The two men who allegedly helped Smollett stage the attack were apprehended at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport Wednesday night. View Slideshow
Jussie Smollett has gone from victim to pariah. On Thursday morning, the Empire actor was arrested and charged with falsifying a police report; the felony could land Smollett in prison for up to three years. Police have subsequently released his mug shot. Before we get into the damning accusations leveled at Smollett during a press conference held by Chicago Police Superintendent. Eddie Johnson today, a quick rehashing of how we got here: Smollett claimed to authorities on January 29 that he was assaulted by two white men around 2 a.m. on the streets of Chicago. He said they yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him; screamed that he was in “MAGA country;” tied a rope around his neck; and poured bleah all over him. The story made national headlines and was commented on by President Trump, Democratic candidates for President in 2020 and, of course, many celebrities from across Hollywood. HOWEVER… … about two weeks after the allegations were made, a pair of brothers from Nigeria were arrested by the police. We quickly learned that these siblings worked as Smollett’s personal trainers and also as extras on Empire. Questions were raised about whether Smollett staged the assault with these men, although the motive why was never made clear. But Johnson addressed both the supposed motive and other aspects of the investigation/arrest in his press conference this morning. We’ve posted his quotes below in bold. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett: Did He REALLY Stage His Own Attack?! Empire Star Under Investigation [UPDATED] First, Johnson said he understands why this incident garnered such attention, but made an important general point at the outset of the media gathering: Before I get started I look out into the crowd, I just wish that the families of gun violence in this city got this much attention because that’s who really deserves the amount of attention that we are giving to this particular in distinct. Johnson then went hard after Smollett for the way he exploited the legitimate problem of racism and homophobia for his own selfish purposes. This announcement today recognizes that empire actor Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career. I’m left hanging my head and asking why. He added: Why would anyone — especially an African-American man — use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations? How could someone look at the hatred and suffering associated with that symbol and see an opportunity to manipulate that symbol to further his own public profile? Johnson said Smollett was reportedly unsatisfied with his salary on Empire and paid $3,500 to the aforementioned siblings to stage the attack on himself. A week prior to the fake beating, Smollett received a threatening letter (below), which Johnson said the star sent to himself, referring to this as a false letter that relied on racial, homophobic and political language and adding: This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn and certainly didn’t deserve. The phony assault took place on the street, as Smollett claimed all along. The two men, who were wearing gloves, punched Smollett “a little bit,” Superintendent Johnson said. However, the scratches and bruises on his face were likely self-inflicted, he continued. Addressing concerns that this incident was given extra attention due to a celebrity being at the center of it, Johnson took extreme umbrage. Any time a hate crime is reported in the city of Chicago, it gets the same attention. This didn’t get any special attention… We give every hate crime in this city the same amount of vigor because there is no place for hatred in this city. No personnel nor any resources were pulled from homicide or shooting investigations to help with the Smollett case. Based on phone records, Smollett talked to the Nigerian brothers about an hour before the staged attack. When we discovered the actual motive, quite frankly, it pissed everybody off because we have to invest valuable resources. Johnson said he hasn’t seen Smollett’s full interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, but he’s viewed snippets and is well aware of the case Jussie tried to make on his own behalf. To be quite honest, it’s shameful because it painted this city that we all love and work hard in in a negative connotation. Here are excerpts from that interview: Jussie Smollett Speaks on Horrific Attack What can Smollett do to make this right? Nothing, but… Absolute justice would be an apology to this city that he smeared, admitting what he did and then be man enough to offer what he should offer up in terms of resources put into this. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has also now issued a statement. It reads as follows: I want to thank all of the Chicago police officers who have worked on this case, and all of the private citizens and business owners who have stepped forward with information and video evidence to help us get to the bottom of what was reported as a hate crime. All across Chicago, in every neighborhood, there are signs in front yards and in windows that read, “Hate Has No Home Here.” It is a sign that expresses our shared values and defines our great city. Chicago’s message to the world is that no matter where you come from, who you love, or how you pray you will always have a home here. Our laws exist to reflect and defend those values, and hate crimes will never be tolerated. A single individual who put their perceived self-interest ahead of these shared principles will never trump Chicago’s collective spirit.
Source: FOX / Getty Jussie Smollett Situation Blows Up Twitter Well things have certainly escalated for Jussie Smollett . A couple of weeks ago, he claimed that he was assaulted by two men who yelled out racist slurs at him, including making him wear a noose and pouring bleach on him. The case was sort of fishy and has sparked all sorts of debate. As the days went by, the story got more and more bizarre. Now, police have enough suspicion that the whole thing is a lie that they have gone ahead and arrested Smollett this morning. There’s definitely a lot of evidence that Smollett told a lie. The whole thing has blown up Twitter and it’s getting ugly. This entire Jussie Smollett case… I just don’t understand pic.twitter.com/k4th8axqqs — Salem Westallen (@4lifeofs) February 21, 2019 Take a look…
It's been a glorious time for Teen Mom gossip, hasn't it? That's because Jenelle's just been on fire lately. We don't want to say that her life has been falling apart, but … well, it's not going great. It rarely is, honestly, but we think a divorce usually qualifies as extra bad, right? But is she even getting divorced? What is going on with this girl?! 1. Recap Time! OK, so there sure has been a lot going on with our favorite hot mess Teen Mom, huh? 2. Bad Times Whatever happened between Jenelle and David, it happened sometime last week — just in time for her to skip her traditional Valentine’s Day gushing. 3. More Fights? The general consensus, and this has been mentioned in a report we’ll get to in a little bit, is that they got into some kind of fight after last week’s episode of Teen Mom 2. 4. Yikes You know, the one that showed us what happened after Jenelle’s infamous 911 call. 5. One More Time You’ve almost definitely heard the call by now, but for the sake of being thorough, here it is again: you can hear Jenelle sobbing hysterically and telling the operator that she thinks David may have broken her collarbone. 6. Oooh, Barbara We always knew the call and its aftermath would have to be a big part of this season, and it has been — we even saw Barbara directly say that she believes her daughter is the victim of domestic violence. View Slideshow
Jussie Smollett is officially in major trouble with the law. About three weeks after the Empire star told police that he was savagely beaten by a pair of Donald Trump-loving racist, Smollett has been made a suspect by this same police force. Over the past several days days, there has been chatter that cops in Chicago believed Smollett orchestrated his own attack and then continually lied to the public and to authorities about what happened. Now, spokesman Anthony Guglielmi has Tweeted the following: Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report. Detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury. If Smollett is charged with the felony cited here, he could face up to three years in prison. UPDATE : Guglielmi has now Tweeted the following… Felony criminal charges have been approved by @CookCountySAO against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report. Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest. A Cook County Grand Jury handed down the indictment late Wednesday, after grand jurors heard testimonies and evaluated evidence. The details of this case have grown more troubling and bizarre each day. After initially receiving support and sympathy from friends, politicians and celebrities around the world due to his claim that he was a victim of a hate crime, Smollett is now the subject of extreme scorn. He was questioned on Wednesday by prosecutors from the Cook County District Attorney’s Office regarding various details of his assault explanation that simply do not add up. Perhaps more disturbing is this: Two brothers from Nigeria were briefly arrested by the police after surveillance footage depicted them in the area of the alleged beating around the time Smollett said it took place. However, these siblings formerly worked as extra on Empire. They’re pictured below: After speaking to these siblings, however, the cops released them without charging them with any crimes — and they released this statement in the process: “We can confirm that the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation.” It has since been reported that the brothers are cooperating with the police and pointing a finger at Smollett, alleging that he paid them to fake the assault and that they even rehearsed how it would go . TMZ writes that Smollett cut the brothers a check for $3,500, but he wrote “training” in the memo line. There’s also now video evidence of them purchasing supplies for the incident, presumably at the behest of Smollet. Smollett, who is openly gay, said late last month that two assailants taunted him with homophobic slurs around 2 a.m. and screamed that he was in “MAGA country.” He said they punched him, tied a rope around his neck and poured bleach all over him. In an interview with Robin Roberts, excerpted below, he stuck by this story: Jussie Smollett Speaks on Horrific Attack And then he did so again through his legal team just a few days ago, saying the following: 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. Various sources have claimed that producers are in the process of writing Smollett out of Empire, but executives deny this is the case. If he’s arrested for falsifying a police report, however, his the future of his acting career may be the least of his concerns. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett: Did He REALLY Stage His Own Attack?! Empire Star Under Investigation [UPDATED]
Join Our Text Club To Get The Latest Music, Entertainment, Contests And Breaking News On Your Phone. Text BALTIMORE to 24042 to join! Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty UPDATE 8:00 PM: Jussie Smollett has now been charged with filing a false police report according to CBS Chicago . It’s a crime punishable up to 1.5 years in prison. He is expected in bond court tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Felony criminal charges have been approved by @CookCountySAO against Jussie Smollett for Disorderly Conduct / Filing a False Police Report. Detectives will make contact with his legal team to negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest. pic.twitter.com/LvBSYE2kVj — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 21, 2019 ORIGINAL 2/20/19 5:32 PM: Case Update: Jussie Smollett is now officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation by #ChicagoPolice for filing a false police report (Class 4 felony). Detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County Grand Jury. pic.twitter.com/FhDcbBKsuU — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 20, 2019 Chicago Police have now named Jussie Smollett as a suspect in his own alleged attack. He could be facing charges related to filing a false police report. Right now, detectives are presenting evidence before a grand jury. This comes after surveillance video showed the brothers who allegedly helped Smollett stage the attack buying items TMZ said were used during the incident. Press play below and watch as Ola and Abel Osundairo check out at the counter, piling up the items, which include ski masks, gloves, bandanas, sunglasses and red hats. Related: Did Jussie Smollett Stage His Own Attack? EXCLUSIVE: I tracked down surveillance of the Osundairo's buying supplies before “attack” Sources say Jussie Smollet told brothers what to buy. Countless phone calls placed for this. Visited more stores than I wish to admit. @cbschicago https://t.co/GT6h2g6Y9a pic.twitter.com/ULr3UTDe9Q — Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 20, 2019 Related: Jussie Smollett’s ‘Empire’ Screen Time Reduced In Wake Of Attack Investigation At one point Abel pulls his hoodie over his head, attempting to hide his face, but he’d already been seen clearly on the video. According to CBS Chicago , the brothers bought these items the day before the “attack” on Smollett. Meanwhile, Jussie Smollett has kept quiet. This, while his future on ‘Empire’ may be hanging in the balance . [ione_media_gallery src=”https://92q.com” id=”4042211″ overlay=”true”]
Millions have been left confused and outraged by reports that Empire star Jussie Smollett staged an attack , which he then reported as a racist and homophobic hate crime perpetrated by two Trump-supporting white men. While no charges have been filed against the actor yet, his case is set to go before a grand jury as early as this week. Smollett is clearly gearing up for a legal battle, and he’s reportedly hired famed defense attorney Mark Geragos, who’s apparently planning to argue that Smollett is being framed by the Chicago Police Department. Needless to say, Smollett’s got a hard road ahead of him. If the allegations against him prove to be accurate, then the best he can hope for is that he’ll lose his career but retain his freedom. The worst-case scenario for the actor is that he’ll be sent to prison. As new facts emerged about the case, Smollett lost support from several high-profile defenders — but it seems he still has some powerful VIPs in his corner. Earlier this week it was reported that Smollett would be fired from Empire . On Tuesday, those reports were amended, and sources close to the show revealed that Smollett’s role on the show has been dramatically reduced for the season’s final two episodes with the goal of eventually cutting him loose. Today, however, Fox issued a statement revealing that Smollett has not been fired and neither the network nor the producers of Empire have any intention of firing him anytime soon. “Jussie Smollett continues to be a consummate professional on set and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show,” the statement reads. This is surprising news for a number of reasons. With the show’s ratings already declining over the past two seasons, the Smollett scandal could be the nail in the coffin for Empire . While it makes sense that producers would wait until the police investigation to be completed before they would make a final decision on Smollett’s future, it’s puzzling that they would issue any statement at all about his role on the show. We know that for the show’s second-to-last episode of the season, Smollett’s role has been reduced from nine scenes to four. He was also scheduled to perform a song that has now been excised entirely. The move represented a subtle compromise that would allow producers the option to gradually write Smollett out of the series. Today’s announcement is something of a bold move, as it might be interpreted by some as a sign that Smollett has his boss’ wholesale support. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett: Did He REALLY Stage His Own Attack?! Empire Star Under Investigation [UPDATED]
