The loved ones of Jussie Smollett have released their first statement since the Empire actor was savagely beaten for being a gay African-American . And they appear to have taken a shot at President Donald Trump in the process. “In the early hours of Tuesday morning, our beloved son and brother, Jussie, was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack,” the family said to open its message, adding: “We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.” According to Smollett, he was attacked by two men who hurled racial and homophobic epithets in his direction. The men also screamed that he was in “MAGA country.” They then punched and kicked Smollett, fracturing his ribs, prior to tying a rope around his neck and pouring bleach all over him. As many have noted, this really was the equivalent of a modern-day lynching. This is how the statement continued: Our family thanks everyone for their prayers and the huge amount of love he has received. We are thankful to our village for your immense support during this trying time. We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country. Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such. They will continue to occur until we hold each other accountable. As far as we know at the moment, Smollett is in stable condition. Moreover, we now have photos of the two suspects . Because the assailants referenced “MAGA,” the shorthand for President Trump’s slogan of Make America Great Again, many folks had been waiting for Trump to address the awful incident. He finally did so on Thursday afternoon. “That I can tell you is horrible,” Trump says when asked about it in the following video. “I’ve seen it. Last night. It’s horrible. Doesn’t get worse.” He does not, however, say anything specific about the “MAGA” taunt directed at Smollett. Donald Trump Comments on Jussie Smollett To conclude their statement it certainly, Jussie’s family certainly appears to call out the President and a lot of his hateful rhetoric over the years. “Make no mistake, words matter. Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Radical love is the only solution, but passivity will be our downfall. We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme in our nation and all over the world,” the statement concluded. “With love & gratitude, the Smollett Family.” In related news, Smollett is expected to return to work in the near future. As soon as he is medically cleared, the actor will be back filming new episodes of Empire. We wish him all the best. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett Attacked: Everything We Know So Far
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Jussie Smollett’s Releases Statement, Labels Assault an Act of "Domestic Terrorism"
