Jussie Smollett faces a felony charge

Empire actor Jussie Smollett faces a felony charge for allegedly filing a false case last month in California, claiming that two masked men attacked him, uttering homophobic slurs.

Smollett transformed from victim to suspect in the reported attack when he wasn’t complying with the Police to part with his phone. Chicago detectives are now working to obtain the actor’s financial records for the fake

Law enforcement speculates that Smollett paid up two brothers to orchestrate the said attack and camera footage obtained earlier revealed the two brothers purchasing masks from a store.

According to a CNN report, surveillance video obtained from a Chicago-area beauty supply store appears to show the brothers connected to the incident purchasing a ski mask, sunglasses, a red hat, and other items the day before the alleged assault on the actor. The video footage was obtained on January 28 and was handed over to the Police.

According to his attorney, Smollett denies playing a role in the attack. They also expressed that Smollett was ‘outrageous’ for the media piling on false accusations on him as if he staged the attack. Speaking to ABC, he said, “It feels like if I had said it was a Muslim or a Mexican or someone black I feel like the doubters would have supported me a lot much more, and that says a lot about the place where we are as a country right now.”

Jussie Smollett is yet to be officially charged and may face up to 3 years in prison.