Jussie Smollett

Actor Jussie Smollett was arrested in February 2019 on a felony charge for allegedly filing a false police report claiming that he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago. The 36-year-old performer, who stars in Fox TV’s “Empire,” allegedly paid two men $3500 to help stage the late-January incident. A police superintendent charged that the publicity stunt “was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied with his salary.” Investigators also charged that, prior to the staged assault, Smollett had mailed himself a threatening letter containing a white powder that turned out to be aspirin. The FBI is investigating the hoax letter, which was sent to the “Empire” production office in Chicago.