Actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty Thursday to 16 charges of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to investigators about an attack that police first examined as a hate crime.
Smollett, 36, claimed he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two masked white men who shouted racist and homophobic remarks at him on Jan. 29. He claimed they put a noose around his neck and threw what he believed was bleach on him.
But in February, the Chicago Police Department announced there was significant evidence that Smollett fabricated the attack, which was initially investigated by police as a hate crime. According to police, Smollett paid two brothers $3,600 to carry out the assault and did so to advance his career.
[Related: Chicago cops fume over Jussie Smollett dragging city ‘through the mud’]
Smollett was originally charged with one felony count of lying to authorities, and already pleaded not guilty to the first charge. Last week, he also was indicted by a grand jury on 16 felony counts of lying to authorities, which his attorney claimed was “prosecutorial overkill.”
Smollett, who was released from custody on a $100,000 bond, is slated to appear again in court on April 17. The “Empire” star, who is black and gay, has repeatedly denied allegations against him.
