The January attack on Jussie Smollett may not have been an attack at all, reports out of Chicago reveal. ABC7Chicago details Chicago police are “eager” to once again talk with Smollett after the two men that were arrested as suspects have agreed to cooperate with police and provide details to help resolve the mystery.

The two brothers were released without charges and sources revealed that the two men, who are brothers, have a preexisting relationship with the Empire star and were paid by him to carry out the attack. Police approached the individuals with evidence that they purchase the rope from an ACE Hardware store in Chicago. The brothers are now cooperating with officials as they look to see if Smollett fabricated the entire story.

“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,” said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. “We’ve reached out to the Empire cast member’s attorney to request a follow-up interview.”

Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, attorneys for Smollett released a statement:

“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.

One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity.

Jussie and his attorneys anticipate being further updated by the Chicago Police Department on the status of the investigation and will continue to cooperate. At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to ‘unnamed’ sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels.”

The post Sources Reveal Jussie Smollett Hired Men to Stage His Attack appeared first on The Source.

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