(AllHipHop News) Jussie Smollett has insisted “every iota” of his account of being the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in Chicago is true.
The “Empire” actor was indicted on 16 counts after it was alleged he had staged a hate attack on himself for publicity, and he was later charged by police with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. However, he walked free from custody on March 26, after all charges against him were dropped.
According to reports, Smollett responded following a city filing defending its lawsuit in which it seeks to recoup the alleged $130,000 costs of investigating what it describes as a publicity stunt.
“Regardless of what is said by the city, every iota of information Jussie Smollett has stated has been fully corroborated by the police documents,” a spokesperson for the actor, who played Jamal Lyon for five seasons on the Fox hip-hop drama, said in a statement.
“Not documents from his PR or legal team but documents generated by the very people who continuously claim it as fact that he is guilty,” insists the rep, before adding. “But this requires people to look at the actual evidence which nobody seems to want to do.”
The statement didn’t say what evidence allegedly backs Smollett’s claim that masked men hurling racist and homophobic insults beat him and looped a noose around his neck.
City officials say GPS data, video, and other evidence proves Smollett paid the men to fake a hate crime.
A special prosecutor is investigating the decision to drop charges against the actor.