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$$?
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.
Some say let the dead rest. Others say that truth will always come to the light. What do you think? Via | HotNewHipHop The disturbing details were essential, according to Dan Reed. Leaving Neverland ‘s first trailer dropped earlier this week reviving questions about its filmmaker’s intentions. The documentary’s director, Dan Reed, recently gave an interview in anticipation of these concerns. He discussed the impact of Michael Jackson’s death on the film and explained why the inclusion of graphic details was essential to the narrative.”It may have been more difficult to make if he were alive today,” Reed stated. “People are still very much afraid of Jackson and his lawyers. As I went around speaking to people who were associated with the investigations, they were afraid of Jackson’s people’s ability to shut down a lot of the victims. They employ unscrupulous PIs, and are very litigious. The power of his machine is very terrifying.” READ MORE
Source: Xilla Valentine / GlobalGrind Hours after being charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report, Jussie Smollett turned himself in to Chicago PD early Thursday morning, another twist in the now bizarre case following his alleged assault by two men on January 29. “Jussie [Smollett] is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” CPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi announced Thursday morning, adding that a press briefing is expected shortly ahead of Smollett’s court appearance. In a separate statement , CPD deputy director of news affairs Tom Ahern further specified that Smollett was in the custody of detectives. Press Briefing: Jussie Smollet is under arrest and in custody of detectives. At 9am at #ChicagoPolice Headquarters, Supt Eddie Johnson, Commander of Area Central Detectives Edward Wodnicki will brief reporters on the investigation prior to the defendants appearance in court. pic.twitter.com/YonrLkc724 — Chicago Police (@Chicago_Police) February 21, 2019 Smollett alleged that two white men beat him, poured bleach on him and placed a noose around his neck while screaming, “This is MAGA country!” But as details continued to emerge and CPD continued their investigation, the story became too crazy to be believed, even by Empire standards. As the story unfolded, it turned out that it was two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo who were Smollett’s “attackers”. They were not white but actually Nigerian and formerly worked as extras on the show. Yesterday, a video emerged of the Osundairo brothers caught on surveillance video purchasing some of the items that were used in the “attack”. Smollett has continued to cooperate with the police during the investigation but spoke publicly about the incident to both Good Morning America and in concert in Los Angeles where he told a crowd that he “ fought the f*ck back ” and jokingly referred to himself as “ the gay 2Pac .” The felony charge of disorderly conduct for filing a false report carries a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison. RELATED: Chicago PD Charge Jussie Smollett With Felony Disorderly Conduct RELATED: Jussie Smollett Tells GMA’s Robin Roberts He’s ‘Pissed’ That People Don’t Believe Him RELATED: Jussie Smollett’s Neighbors Don’t Believe the Actor’s Story
Earlier this month, 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days star Karine Staehle flaunted her massive baby bump . In a new post, however, she warns fans to not be fooled by the size of her pregnant belly. Her baby is actually underweight. Karine shared a new photo of herself with a flower crown filter, putting her prodigious baby bump on display. Her caption is in her native Portuguese, but we have translated the words for you. “My belly is not as big as it appears in the photo,” Karine’s caption begins. So this is one of those options-on-Instagram-may-be-smaller-than-they-appear situations. That happens on Tinder, too. “The baby is underweight,” Karina informs her followers. “And,” she admits. “It looks like I eat a lot.” Here is the photo. That looks like a huge pregnant belly … though we should of course remember the scale of things. Karine is a tiny, tiny woman. A “large” baby bump on her would look considerably smaller on a more statuesque woman. She also notes that she is only 35 weeks into her pregnancy. So her baby probably has over a month to grow to a healthy weight before she gives birth. When those five weeks are up, Paul and Karine are expecting a baby boy. They have already picked out a name for this little one: Pierre. After the couple’s two miscarriages, Pierre will be their little rainbow baby. Paul and Karine have come a long, long way since fans first saw them on 90 Day Fiance: Before The 90 Days . Some of their biggest obstacles have been their own differences. After a long-distance courtship, Kentucky native Paul came to meet Karine in Brazil. Paul did not speak Portuguese. Karine did not speak English. They relied upon translator apps. There were more than just communication issues. Paul had some insecurities and displayed quirky behaviors, including that one time he slipped on a condom under his trunks before going for a swim. (Yes, candiru asu are real, but no, you do not need to wear a condom under your swimming trunks to keep one from tunneling up your dong) More seriously, he was found to have an alarming criminal record including arson. But Paul and Karine tied the knot on the second season of the 90 Day Fiance spin-off. Though they continued to fight, they settled into their relationship and marriage. Two miscarriages, back-to-back, was difficult for them. That would put a strain on any couple. Paul shared that the first miscarriage happened almost too quickly for them to notice. The second, however, put them in mourning. But with this rainbow baby on the way, they’re verye xcited to make this journey into parenthood together. Hopefully, Paul and Karine are prepared to be the best possible parents for baby Pierre. We’re rooting for some final fetal development over the next five weeks. Underweight babies can sometimes experience health complications. We want Pierre to have the best start in life that his parents can give him. But with five weeks to go, there’s probably no reason to worry. Different babies develop at different rates. View Slideshow: 90 Day Fiance Couples: Are They Still Together?
The hatchet has been buried. Literal bread has been broken. The feud, alas, is over. On Tuesday night, Ariana Grande ran into Piers Morgan at a restaurant in Los Angeles, prompting the singer and the obnoxious talk show host to sit down and hash out their differences. Back in November, you may recall, Morgan trashed Ellen DeGeneres as a hypocrite and the all-girls group Little Mix for showing some skin on the comedian’s talk show. The chauvinistic Brit criticized the group for using its sexuality to promote their music, an accusation that angers both Grande and even her mother. Ariana quickly jumped on Twtitter to explain the concept of female empowerment to Morgan. “I use my talent AND my sexuality all the time because I choose to,” Grande Tweeted at Morgan in response to his remarks. “Women can be sexual AND talented. Naked and dignified. It’s OUR choice.” As summarized below, and as we mentioned above, Grande’s mother even got in on the Morgan bashing: View Slideshow: Ariana Grande and Her Mom Destroy Piers Morgan Over Misogyny Fast forward about two months and these stars came face to face by accident. But they used this chance meeting to try and clear the air. “Thank u for a great night @ArianaGrande x,” Morgan Tweeted on Tuesday after their discussion, to which Grande wrote back: “thank u for some laughs and some v productive conversation ! it was nice bumping into u ! #FutureFeministPiers #FingersCrossed.” Followers were curious about what transpired between Ariana and Piers, which prompted Grande to spill a little more tea: “well………… we bumped into each other. at a restaurant. and i decided to sit with him and we spoke for a while. i think some progress was made! turns out face to face discussions are a bit kinder and gentler, even if you do indeed disagree.” How mature, right? Grande and Morgan even posed for a selfie together (below), alongside which Piers echoed Grande’s sentiment. He wrote as a caption to this unexpected snapshot: So… we bumped into each other in a LA restaurant, she joined me for ‘a chat’ & 2 hours later we were still chatting. We laughed, we argued, she cried, I nearly did, the drinks flowed & we bonded. Turns out we really like each other. Weird. Thank u @ArianaGrande – next? We’re glad Grande and Morgan worked out their differences. Now, Morgan just has to make time to sit down and talk in depth with the other celebrities he’s angered over the years. This means he’ll need to hash it out with Chris Evans … and Sophie Turner … and Tess Holliday …
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]
Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty It’s nearly impossible to scroll social media without coming across a headline about Jussie Smollett . The Empire actor is engulfed in controversy after accusing two men of attacking him during a late night in Chicago. Smollett said he was punched in the face, had bleach poured on him and he suffered a bruise on his face. He also accused the attackers of yelling, “this MAGA country n*gger” and putting a noose around his neck. Since then an array of reports have come out that portray Smollett as a “liar.” Smollett has been accused of “orchestrating” the attack with two Nigerian brothers who also appeared on Empire. Here’s everything we know about the incident so far: Days before the attack, a threatening and racist letter addressed to Smollett was sent to CBS Chicago with a powdery substance inside that appeared to be Tylenol. Smollett was allegedly attacked by two men in Streeterville, Chicago early Jan. 29 morning after going to Subway He hesitated to call the police because of his pride but fully cooperated when he finally did contact them. Smollett revealed police didn’t initially ask him for his phone records, but wanted his phone. He didn’t hand it over because he had valuable and personal information in his phone. He did submit his phone records within an hour of the attack but they were redacted versions and the police needed more information. Jussie’s celebrity friends and fans of the actor came to his defense, calling out the forces who give energy to the MAGA movement and condemning racism. President Trump called the incident, “horrible.” “Doesn’t get worse,” he added. A police investigation turns up no surveillance footage of the attack, but shows two “persons of interest.” In his first performance after the attack, Jussie called himself the “gay tupac.” Jussie Smollett does Good Morning America interview, giving details about the alleged attack. According to his testimony, the attacker punched him and he struck him back. “We started tussling, it was very icy.” He added, “There was a second person involved who was kicking me in my back.” Apparently, his manager was on the phone during the attack. “Then I looked down and noticed there was a rope around my neck.” The homes of Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, who were seen on the surveillance video, were raided. They were arrested but quickly released. “Due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging.” BREAKING:Police raided the home of two persons of interest in Jussie Smollett case last night. Both men are of Nigerian decent and have appeared as extras on the show. Police took bleach, shoes electronics and more.Officers asked family if they knew #Jussiesmollett . @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/PDSFtf5jwb — Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 14, 2019 According to the brothers, they rehearsed the attack with Smollett days before the incident. They reportedly scouted a spot to orchestrate the attack where cameras would catch it. Apparently Jussie wanted the incident to be “physical” but not too harmful. They “made contact with Jussie’s face” but it was “weak.” The “attack” wasn’t caught on camera like Jussie had originally thought because cameras were facing north// away from where the incident occurred. Countless celebs have come out against Jussie after reports surfaced claiming the “attack” was orchestrated. “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,” said defense lawyers Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson in a statement obtained by Deadline. “Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.” Jussie’s role on Empire has reportedly been “slashed” in the wake of the allegedly staged attack. He was originally supposed to be in nine episodes, featuring one big musical scene. His sister Jurnee posted this message on social media. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jurnee Smollett Bell (@jurneebell) on Feb 18, 2019 at 11:17pm PST Jussie will plead his case in front of a grand jury who will decide if he should be indicted on charges for filing a false police report. The Osundairo brothers volunteered to testify. [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3022208″ overlay=”true”] RELATED STORIES: Jussie Smollett Tells GMA’s Robin Roberts He’s ‘Pissed’ That People Don’t Believe Him Joe Budden On Jussie Smollett Hate Crime: ‘Show Me Footage And I’ll Shut TF Up’ Jussie Smollett Speaks Out About Attack: ‘I Fought The F**k Back.’ Y’all President Called Jussie Smollett’s Attack ‘Horrible,’ But Then Made It About His Wall
L yft is big on philanthropy. In the past, the company has teamed up to support several social good initiatives, including Chance the Rapper ’s effort to better Chicago Public Schools and making it easier for Americans to get to polling places by offering free and discounted rides on Election Day. For Black History Month, the ride-sharing app is offering free rides to Black-owned businesses, Black museums and other institutions, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. @Lyft is offering free rides in more than 30 cities this month in celebration of Black History Month. https://t.co/w3LuFvqG0u — WSB Radio (@wsbradio) February 14, 2019 The free rides are being offered in over 30 cities, the news outlet writes. In each city, there are one or more locations where free rides can be taken. Among the participating cities are New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Baltimore, Nashville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Washington, Richmond and others. Passengers can get one free ride for a trip that would cost up to $10. “At Lyft, we believe in recognizing, celebrating, and supporting the contributions of incredible Black women and men throughout history and within our communities today,” read a statement released by the company. “That is why during the month of February, we’ll be providing one free ride up to $10* to Black history museums, memorials, and relevant cultural sites, as well as to Black-owned businesses throughout various communities in which we serve.” This February marks the company’s one-year partnership anniversary with Black Girls CODE. Lyft joined forces with the nonprofit as an avenue to increase racial and gender representation in the tech space. Since the inception of the partnership, they’ve been able to raise over $350,000 for the organization. Black Girls CODE is on a mission to provide tech education resources for 1 million girls by 2040. SEE ALSO: Chance The Rapper Teams Up With Lyft To Fund Chicago Public Schools Lyft To Provide Free And Discounted Rides On Election Day [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3844698″ overlay=”true”]
We have a significant update in what has become one of the more bizarre stories we’ve seen in awhile. And that update is this: Two men have been arrested in conjunction with Empire actor Jussie Smollett getting savagely beaten in Chicago last month. According to TMZ, a pair of brothers from Nigeria named Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo have been taken into custody by the Chicago police department. They have been labeled “potential suspects” in this beating, as opposed to mere “persons of interests,” which is a key distinction. As previously reported on The Hollywood Gossip and via other outlets, the siblings were picked up at O’Hare Airport on Wednesday night and subsequent had their home raided. Police reportedly found shoes, a laptop and other possible pieces of evidence there that may link them to the Smollett investigation. But here’s where it gets interesting and sort of troubling… Smollett had previously told the cops that his attackers were white. He claimed they screamed that he was in “MAGA Country” at the time of the incident, while also screaming racial and anti-gay epithets in his direction. Now… is it possible that two African-Americans could have uttered these words? Sure. Anything is possible. But the brothers had also previously worked as extras on Empire. Their attorney has confirmed to a CBS affiliate in Chicago that they knew Smollett pretty well. Now… is it possible they therefore knew where he lived and knew his whereabouts on the night of the alleged attack? Sure. However, there’s been rather serious talk that Smollett actually staged this assault and both the skin color of these suspects – and their connection to the actor definitely gives us reason to consider this theory. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett: Did He REALLY Stage His Own Attack?! Empire Star Under Investigation [UPDATED] Why would Smollett do such a thing? We really don’t wish to speculate too much on such a sensitive and seemingly wild/horrible possibility, but the ABC affiliate in Chicago alleges that he was about to be written off Empire. Presumably, turning himself into a victim of a hate crime that received national attention would have made Smollett into far too much of a sympathetic figure for producers to follow through with this plan. 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment, however, released a statement in response to the rumor that Smollett was being fired, dismissing the rumor out of hand: The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off EMPIRE is patently ridiculous. He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand by him. To review, Smollett has claimed two men verbally berated him with racist and homophobic slurs early in the morning of January 29. He says they poured a substance, believed to be bleach all over him; and tied a rope around his neck. Speaking to Good Morning America on Thursday after the beating, Smollett challenged his critics and insisted he’s telling the truth. “I’m pissed off,” he told Robin Roberts early in their chat, citing the criticism he’s received from doubters of the attack. “They called me a f—-t, they called me a n–ga. There’s no which way you cut it,” Smollett said, adding: “I’ve heard that it was a date gone bad, which I also resent that narrative. I’m not gonna go out and get a tuna sandwich and a salad to meet somebody. That’s ridiculous. And it’s offensive.” As for why he waited a short while before calling the police to report what happened? He cited the idea of “pride” and explained: “We live in a society where, as a gay man, you are considered somehow, to be weak, and I’m not weak. I am not weak. And we, as a people, are not weak.” Watch excerpts from the interview below as we try to make sense of this confusing and disturing ordeal all around. Jussie Smollett Speaks on Horrific Attack
