Jussie Smollett Turns Himself In

Actor faces felony charges after being accused of faking own attack
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 21, 2019 6:43 AM CST
Updated Feb 21, 2019 6:50 AM CST
Jussie Smollett Turns Himself In
A file photo of Jussie Smollett.   (John Amis/AP Images for Macy's)

Empire actor Jussie Smollett will have a whole new kind of audience on Thursday: He faces a bail hearing after turning himself into police, reports CNN. Smollett "is in under arrest and in custody of detectives," tweeted Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. The bail hearing is set for 1:30pm local time. Authorities charged Smollett on Wednesday with making a false police report, a felony charge that could bring up to three years in prison and force the actor, who is black and gay, to pay for the cost of the investigation into his report of a Jan. 29 beating, per the AP.

The charges emerged on the same day detectives and the two brothers thought to have been involved in the attack testified before a grand jury. Smollett's attorneys met with prosecutors and police, but it was unknown what they discussed or whether Smollett attended the meeting. In a statement, attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson said Smollett "enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked." The developments follow a flurry of activity in recent days. (More Jussie Smollett stories.)

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