Reports that “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett staged the alleged Jan. 29 attack on himself are “unconfirmed,” Chicago police said.
In an online statement Wednesday, a department spokesman gave an update of their ongoing investigation, stating that there is no evidence to support that the Jan. 29 incident was a hoax.
Reports that Smollett and two other men staged the attack because he was being written off “Empire” are also unsubstantiated.
“The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of ‘Empire’ is patently ridiculous,” 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said Thursday in a statement. “He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”