Jussie Smollett Arrested On Felony Charges, Accused of Faking Own Assault

Jussie Smollett has turned himself in and is in custody of investigators. 

Chief Communications Officer Anthony Guglielmi reported the news on Thursday, saying the “Empire” actor has been arrested. 

The news came just under 24 hours after Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct for supposedly filing a fake police report. In the report, the Jamal Lyon character said he had been assaulted by offenders shouting racial and homophobic insults towards him back in January. Smollett’s attorney released a comment after the Cook County State Attorney’s Office authorization of the charges.

“Like any other citizen, Mr. 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. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense,” the statement said. 

As reported by Tom Ahern, Deputy Director of News Affairs and Communications for the Chicago Police, Smollett could be facing a class four felony charge, that means he could spend up to three years in prison if he’s convicted. 

A court hearing is arranged for 1:30 p.m. local time.