The family ofEmpirestarJussie Smollettwas quick to speak out on his behalf after — in a shocking turn of events — all charges against the actor in relation to accusations that he lied to police about an alleged hate crime attack against him earlier this yearwere dropped.
Issuing a public statement following the news on Tuesday, the Smollett family (includingSmollett’s sister, actress Jurnee-Smollett Bell) said, “Our son and brother is an innocent man whose name and character has been unjustly smeared. Jussie is a son, a brother, a partner, a champion for human rights, and a genuine soul who would never be capable of what he was falsely accused of.”
“He was the victim of an assault and then falsely blamed for his own attack,” the statement continued. “This morning truth has prevailed and he has been vindicated. All charges have been dismissed and his record expunged (cleared).”
Said the Smollett family, “The painful incidents we’ve witnessed him endure over the past 7 weeks have been heartbreaking and unjust to say the least. While many were quick to rush to judgement before hearing the actual truth, we are grateful that the truth about Jussie has come to light.”
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20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment also released a statement: “Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed.”
Smollett’s attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a statement released to the media Tuesday that the star’s “record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him.”
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office confirmed the charges against Smollett had been dropped.
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If Smollett had been been tried and found guilty of falsifying a police report, the Class 4 felony carried a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.
source: people.com
