With a special prosecutor assigned to the case of Jussie Smollett in Chicago, the case is being reexamined. Today, the Chicago Police Department released body-cam footage from the night Smollett was allegedly attacked on the street. In the short clip, officers can be seen arriving at the actor’s home, where he still has the rope around his neck from the incident. Smollett tells the police he “just wanted you all to see it” before unwinding the rope from his neck and also tells the officers his assailants poured bleach on him. The actor was later accused of staging his own attack and paying off two men to carry it out. Charges were eventually dropped against Smollett after he had been indicted on 16 counts for filing a false police report, but he did have to pay a $10,000 bond.
The City of Chicago has also taken Smollett to civil court to get back the $130,000 spent on the investigation. The special prosecutor was brought on to reassess the case and determine if it was “compromised, impeded or undermined” by the actions of the State’s Attorney’s Office. Kim Foxx, the woman who holds the office, has been criticized for her handling of it. Opening the case back up means that there’s also the option to file new charges against Smollett, who was written out of the end of Empire’s fifth season. He will not return for the sixth and final season, either.
