One of America's leading black television actors has been charged with staging a racist attack on himself in a "despicable publicity stunt" which he hoped would get him a raise on his $65,000-an-episode salary.
Jussie Smollett, 36, who stars in "Empire," was accused by police in Chicago of "exploiting the pain and anger of racism" in a "shameful" attempt to boost his own profile.
The saga began on Jan 29 when the actor reported that he had been attacked by two white men who put a noose around his neck and yelled "This is MAGA country," a reference to Donald Trump's campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".
Following his arrest the US president wrote on Twitter: "Jussie Smollett - what about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments!? #MAGA."
The actor, who is gay, also claimed his attackers hurled homophobic insults at him during the incident at 2am in downtown Chicago.
Police charged him with making a false statement, which could lead to a sentence of up to three years in jail if convicted. A mugshot showed him staring impassively at the camera.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...ett-now-official-suspect-filing-false-police/
