Jussie Smollett, star of the FOX hit show Empire, was allegedly the victim of a homophobic and racist attack in Chicago, Illinois in early February. Since the alleged hate crime, where Smollett claims the perpetrators shouted slurs and put a noose around his neck, the Chicago Police Department has been searching for evidence.
Authorities have yet to find video footage of the incident, which has led to some people doubting the actor’s claims or questioning whether he exaggerated what took place.
On Thursday, February 14, Smollett appeared on Good Morning America for his first interview since the interview and shared his side of the story.
“I see the attacker, masked, and he said, ‘This MAGA country (expletive), punches me right in the face” Smollett said. “So I punched his ass back. And then started tussling. It was very icy, and we ended up tussling by the stairs, fighting, fighting, fighting. There was a second person involved who was kicking me in my back, and then it just stopped and they ran off.”
He then discussed the doubters.
“It’s not necessarily that you don’t believe that this is the truth, you don’t even want to see the truth,” Smollett said.
“I didn’t need to add anything like that,” he said. “They called me a f*****, they called me a n*****. There’s no which way you cut it. I don’t need some MAGA hat as the cherry on top of some racist sundae.”
Smollett said that he is “pissed off” that the attack went down and that there is any doubt of the attack.
You can watch the interview below.
