A video of actress Ellen Page blaming President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for the alleged assault on “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has surpassed 18 million views.
The number takes on new significance this weekend, as new reports says two brothers told authorities that Smollett allegedly paid them to stage the attack.
Two weeks ago, when Smollett, who is gay, first snagged national media attention for what he said was a hate crime, Page, who is also gay, spoke at length on “The Late Show” about how she was “fired up” about the Trump administration’s policies affecting the LGBT community and Pence’s opposition to same-sex marriage.
“The vice president of America wishes I didn’t have the love with my wife,” Page told host Stephen Colbert.
As she fought back tears, Page encouraged people to “connect the dots” between the Trump camp and the alleged attack on Smollett. “If you are in a position of power and you hate people, and you want to cause suffering to them, you go through the trouble, you spend your career trying to cause suffering, what do you think is going to happen? Kids are going to be abused and they’re going to kill themselves, and people are going to be beaten on the street,” she said.
Fast-forward two weeks later, and a video of Page speaking on “The Late Show” have received more than 16.8 million views on Twitter and over a million more on YouTube.
.@EllenPage is fed up with leaders who promote hatred and intolerance. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/apxXzye5SF
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) February 1, 2019
Chicago police are now asking Smollett to submit to another interview after they released two men detained in an alleged assault that a new report says Smollett staged for $3,500.
Smollett’s attorneys, Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson, put out a statement Saturday evening, maintaining Smollett was the victim of a hate crime. The statement also said the actor has been “further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”
No one has been charged in the case, but TMZ reports the case will go before a grand jury.
Meanwhile, in light of the new developments, Page has yet to offer further public comment on the matter.
