As the investigation intoJussie Smollett‘s apparent hate crime continues to raise questions,Empireis standing behind the actor.
In a new statement, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment tell PEOPLE: “Jussie Smollett continues to be a consummate professional on set and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show.”
The statement comes after reports emerged last week claiming detectives are reviewing whether Smollett, who is black and gay, orchestrated the attack on himself.
In response to the speculation that the actor — who has played Jamal Lyon on the Fox show since 2015 — staged his attack in a bid to keep his job, Foxdenied that his character was being written off the show.
“The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off ofEmpireis patently ridiculous,” the network said in a statement on Feb. 14. “He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”
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Smollett reported being involved in a“racially-charged assault and battery”at around 2 a.m. on the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street in downtown Chicago on Jan. 29.
Last week, brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo — identified in surveillance footage on the night of the incident — werearrestedandreleased without charges. The following day, reports emerged that the brothers claimed theEmpirestar paid them to stage the incident.
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Chicago PD refused to comment on the speculation that the attack was a hoax but acknowledged that the investigation has “shifted.”
In another statement, Guglielmi said the department was “not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released,” but said “there are some developments in this investigation” and “detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident.”
“One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video,” the statement continued. “It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity.”
source: people.com
