False report charges against Smollett dropped

Attorneys for Jussie Smollett said Tuesday that prosecutors have dropped charges against the television actor for lying to police about an alleged attack based on his race and sexual orientation. Attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a statement that Smollett’s record “has been wiped clean.”

The African-American and openly homosexual actor, who appeared on the Fox series Empire, claimed he was attacked in late January in downtown Chicago by two men who shouted racial and anti-gay slurs, poured bleach on him, and looped a rope around his neck. In early March, a grand jury indicted him on 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct after police said Smollett hired the two men to attack him and lied to police and detectives about the incident. Police also said Smollett sent a threatening letter to himself at the Chicago studio where Empire is produced. The FBI is still investigating that letter and has declined to comment on the investigation.

It is unclear why the charges were dropped. A spokeswoman for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said Smollett will forfeit $10,000 in bail money to the city of Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune. His attorneys made it clear the dropped charges were not the result of a plea deal.

Editor’s Note: WORLD updated this report to reflect the amount of money Smollett forfeited to the city of Chicago. His original bail was set at $100,000.