As we discussed yesterday, there are already people out there, saying that Jussie Smollett was lying or not telling the whole truth about being the victim of a violent hate crime in the early morning hours in Chicago. Even though it’s being widely reported that Chicago police have mostly tracked Jussie’s movements via street cameras and private security surveillance, and even though they released a grainy photo of the assailants, people are still questioning Jussie’s story. Two of the most popular searches on Twitter? “Jussie Smollett lie” and “Jussie Smollett hoax.” Well,Thursday afternoon, Jussie’s family released a statement:
“In the early hours of Tuesday morning, our beloved son and brother, Jussie, was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.”
“Our family thanks everyone for their prayers and the huge amount of love he has received. We are thankful to our village for your immense support during this trying time. We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive.
“Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country,” the family says. “Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such. They will continue to occur until we hold each other accountable.”
“Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Radical love is the only solution, but passivity will be our downfall. We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme in our nation and all over the world.”
[Statement from the Smollett family, via E! News]
I believe the family. I believe Jussie. That’s one thing that this job has given me, and as I’ve had to sit here and write about #MeToo stories – I believe victims. That has become my necessary default position, always. Believe victims. Victims get the benefit of the doubt. Jussie says he was assaulted. I believe him. Jussie’s family says he told the cops everything and his story never changed. I believe him.
Jussie’s manager was on the phone with Jussie when he was attacked, and the manager, Brandon Z. Moore, has already given his statement to police. Moore says that he overheard the assailants say “MAGA country” and a racist slur. But… Jussie still refuses to turn over his phone, and Moore and Jussie have both refused to turn over their phone records to police. Which is weird. I believe Jussie, but it’s weird.
Confirmed with two Chicago PD sources that Jussie Smollett and his manager refused a request to turn over phone records to show Smollett's manager was on the phone with Jussie when the attack took place. Its not clear if Chicago PD will move to obtain records independently
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 31, 2019
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I don’t understand why they think he’d lie about this? What he went through sounds horrific. What on earth would he have to gain by lying about it? (The phone thing is weird though. I don’t really get that part of it. But I’m not going to not believe him just based on that. The poor man already had enough Maga fans ready to declare him a liar before any detail like that was even released.)
My question is, if his manager heard the assailants over the phone, why didn’t he call the police?
Maybe he was scared to end the call. Hearing his client being attacked must have been horrifying. He probably wanted to stay on the line.
When my daughters walk somewhere or if they’re alone at home and the door bell rings we always make sure we’re on the phone in case whatever happens. I thought everyone did that especially walking in Chicago especially POC. We live strange days. Gotta Facebook Live Life.
I wouldn’t give up my phone, I don’t care what the circumstances.
I agree with you. I don’t trust the police enough to hand over my phone.
There may be other phone calls, completely unrelated to the attack, that they don’t want the police to see. I have no idea what but it’s all I can imagine.
This was my first thought too.
Why should the victim be compelled to hand over phone records anyways? They’re not the perpetrator. Police just can’t help themselves when it comes to investigating, discrediting, and casting doubt on people who report violence. Particularly of the racial/gendered variety…
so then you you pull up your call log, click on the call with your manager and show just that one to police. Have you guys never owned a cell phone before?
The cops will get the phone records. I practice in cook county and get phone records that cops have subpoenaed all the time. I believe Jussie no question.
It’s better to get phone records independently anyway. Then nobody can claim fakery.
so you can show your call with your manager to police in a few seconds and build up a collaborative rapport with the officers, or you can refuse to show them anything and force them to go to a judge to get a warrant to get access to your records in a week or so. Hmm, if I am really interested in finding the guys who did this, I wouldn’t want the cops to waste time on the phone records when I can resolve it in seconds.
I feel like his credibility is being questioned because he won’t turn over his phone. Why make this public? What’s the motive here? To get him to turn over his phone? I’m sure there are other ways they can get records. If I was a celebrity I wouldn’t trust the police with my phone either. All it takes is for someone to “leak” pictures or text messages to TMZ trying to discredit him in any way.
exactly this. He knows the stakes. he knows what they will do with his phone, and it won’t be anything to help him. Best they just get the records
There was lots of talk of him faking this before it came out that he wouldn’t turn over his phone. The police can get the records from the phone company without his actual phone. I wouldn’t give my phone up either, lots of people put their whole lives in their phones, he’s not a criminal. Maybe there are things he would rather the cops didn’t dig through, personal things. I wouldn’t trust the cops with it because guaranteed all the info from his phone would be online like a day after if he gave it up.
All of this. He’s a celebrity who is probably extremely protective of his privacy. I completely get it. I’d be the same way and hell no I wouldn’t turn my phone over to police.
His credibility is definitely being questioned because of the phone thing. I feel like even purportedly objective news stories have made this implication and it’s pretty scary. My heart goes out to him.
TMZ have their tentacles everywhere. You just know they have someone in the Chicago Police Dept ready to leak information. They have no shame
I wouldn’t give the cops my phone either, even if I was completely innocent. I’d be mad, because it would feel like they weren’t focusing their efforts on finding who committed the crime.
I don’t think wanting to see the phone is any different than questioning parents when a kid goes missing, or checking security footage when something happens. It’s to gather information, rule out certain people as perps, establish a timeline, etc. They have to eliminate people/things in order to move forward and find the real criminals.
I was thinking that maybe the police were trying to put together a timeline. For example, if those men on the security footage were there at midnight, and Jussie’s phone shows he was talking on it 90 minutes earlier / later and for X amount of time, then it might help establish who was where and when.
I personally don’t see why he HAS to turn over his phone, I wouldn’t either…especially not with buzzards like TMZ hovering around. The police can just subpoena for the records, if they really need them.
They can just take pictures or request screenshots of anything they need. They don’t have to take the phone of the victim of a crime.
I couldn’t surrender mine, either. I need it on me for safety and also need access to things on it. Plus I have confidentiality agreements with clients, even though I do not actually translate anything super secret. I would just ask them what they need and show it to them. Screenshots can be emailed or texted. Also selected parts can be photographed. Or they could (gasp!) take handwritten notes.
Lots of homophobia, sexism, and racism in police departments. That’s a big problem. It contributes to victim’s not being believed. I agree that it’s their way of pressuring him to completely submit to the investigators. Jussie and his team know what Jay said about Cook County: they can subpoena the phone company to get what they say they want to confirm without compromising his privacy. We just watched all of Jeff Bezos’ private texts splash sleazily all over the media a few weeks ago. Why wouldn’t they release pics he’s taken? It’s probably all innocent stuff and texts to his friends, but those things have nothing to do with the investigation, but they would probably give homophobes and racists lots to pick apart.
I apologize to everyone for not properly checking my spelling and grammar before posting. I need a few minutes between writing and reading to see it, and my phone has always felt hard to type on.
What do they even need the phone records for? It’s not like that will help the police find out who did it any faster?
And why do Jussie OR the manager need to prove they were on the phone in the first place? This isn’t weird on their parts but super sketchy by the police. Though I’m not even sure it’s on the police. It’s on the people thinking this is a detail worth reporting over and over again. This is how you construct a storyline.
Let’s not fall for it and keep asking the real questions.
If they are going to use the manager as a witness for the prosecution, they need to prove that they were, in fact, on the phone or it will be challenged by the defendants.
But can’t they just use the manager’s phone to prove that? Can’t they look at Jussie’s phone records?
I think the phone is to provide hard evidence immediately, which is something they don’t really have and are trying to get. Smart not to turn it over. The line of questioning would go something like:
“So you were on the phone with Jussie at the time of the attack?”
“Yes”
“And you heard portions of the attack?”
“Yes”
“Then why didn’t you… (call the police, call him back, call someone who was staying in the vicinity, etc… )
Basically there’s no right answer here for either of them. And the manager obviously can’t prove the attacker was the same person who shouted racist shit, because the manager didn’t see. It would be a victim blaming mess.
Those are good questions, actually. I’d like to hear the answers myself.
Yes, they can prove it from the records. It will make it easier and less costly if Jussie and the manager sign releases for the police to get the records. Better chain of evidence control too. The actual phone isn’t evidence of anything, unless he whacked the assailant with it or one of the guys grabbed it and it has fingerprints or DNA on it.
One, to establish a timeline. phone records are exact, the human memory,not so much. Remember, at the time they asked for the timing of the conversation, they were being called 40+ minutes after the alleged assault and didn’t know what video evidence might exist. Establishing a timeline is critical to solving most cases.
I believe Jussie was attack and I don’t blame Him for not wanting to give his phone to the police How many times has tmz paid people to get information on celebrities. Look how those pictures of Rihanna were released by tmz they pay someone at the police station for the pictures. Jussie has a right to privacy and there no reason for the cops to have to take his phone for him they could just get the call logs for the phone company they don’t need to have his physical phone . To me seems like some people in Chicago pd don’t believe him and want to discredited Him
Total agree. I think if he gave up his phone, every bit of info from it would be on tmz the next day. I’m still mad they shared that picture of Rihanna was posted, that is something that should have remained private unless she wanted it released.
It looks like they want to discredit him, and I’m sure that some of the officers do, but what is a legit request by the investigators is to ask for the phone, because it makes it easier for them, and less expensive for all of us, when immediate hard evidence is available. But this would be extremely costly for Jussie. I’d hand it over because nobody cares who I am. He needs to keep his phone. The dirty cops/admin who’d take TMZ’s money get lucky when the celebrity has no choice because of the circumstances, like Rihanna.
I think that when “famous” people are involved, their lawyer should be able to work out something with the police whereby there would always be a representative for the famous person observing the phone whenever it’s being checked. That should prevent any shenanigans with the phone.
What I don’t understand is why are there people who think Jussie made this up? I have seen comments about how it was a hookup gone bad. If it was ( Just for the record I believe Jussie) why would he make up a elaborate story like this, which would attract so much attention ?
It is like people are hoping he is caught in a lie. It is so sad
Some people seem desperate not to believe him, which is so telling about how people view LGBTQ victims and particularly victims of colour. You lose nothing by believing him. If he’s lying? HE loses everything. His career would be over and he’d likely be charged with filing a false report. Even if people have doubts,it costs them nothing to show compassion. Let the investigators do their job.
Actually, now they are saying that police asked for his phone, he declined to hand it over, but is in the process of getting them phone records.
The people leading the accusations that he made this up are the likes of Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity; they will do anything to defend MAGAts.
Having worked extensively with police officers through my jobs in social work, I would NEVER NEVER give them my phone. I would also be hesitant to for them to have access to all my phone records. So I get Jussie.
I have nothing to hide as a private citizen, but I’ve seen their attitudes and the ways they operate first hand. I know they say there are some upstanding cops, but I didn’t meet a lot of them, honestly. Most of them were shady AF.
Thanks, Like a Fox. Valuable inside perspective.
Well they need a warrant to get phone records due to supreme court ruling to protect a person’s privacy. Persons phone is private. I am glad he has stood his ground. Cops in Chicago have such a rep for racism and corruption.
If I were him. I wouldn’t give them my phone either. His pictures would be sold and put online in a heartbeat
why is it so hard for people to understand that he could have just pulled up his last call with his manager and showed them the call log time from just that one call. He refused to show them anything on his phone according to what the police are reporting. I agree wholeheartedly about not turning your phone over, but if showing them the call log time can help them establish a timeline from the racist homophobes that just attacked me, you better be damn well sure I would show them the timeline of that call right then and there.
‘…according to what the police are reporting’. There’s your answer right there. The police shouldn’t say anything about an active investigation; request help, yes, but provide info? no. Don’t trust them. Get a good lawyer.
@BeanieBean, absolutely right. The police have no reason to be truthful and honest with you, even if you are a victim. They lie regularly to people in order to obtain potentially incriminating information.
If you are a victim reporting a crime, lawyer up if possible before doing so if it’s a serious crime. If you’ve been detained by the police for any reason, the only thing you should say to them is, “I will not speak to you without a lawyer present.” They will try to finagle their way out of affirming your constitutional rights. Don’t let them.
You guys,
I am going to get skewered for this, but from the first second I heard this story, I thought it was a hoax. To provide some background, I have a degree in Women’s Studies, so I am an ally, and I almost always believe survivors, but I am also familiar with a number of hoaxes, and this one seemed like that to me from the get go.
Why? What’s the motivation? Why would a successful actor on a hit tv show risk getting caught in a lie that could destroy his career?
So your theory is that he broke his own rib? You also think that he somehow convinced his manager to go along with this “hoax”? Did George Soros to put him up to it or..?
Sorry but that makes ZERO sense to me.
I know, it doesn’t make sense to me either, but I think he made it up. If he didn’t, I will be the first to apologize.
Okay, let me explain my thought process a little more.
When I first read the story, it struck me as very similar to a hoax that happened at my college, while I was there. In this particular hoax, a woman that I knew, said that she was assaulted by two male students while she was walking home from class. She said that the two boys, who were wearing anti-feminist shirts, pushed her, called her a feminazi , grabbed the screen play that she was writing (feminist screen play) and taunted her over it.
It turned into a pretty big news story, and then it came out a couple of weeks later that she had completely made it up, never happened. I remember so many of my friends were devastated, because they were friends with her and emotionally invested. No one ever figured out why she did it, it didn’t make sense.
When I heard Jussie’s story, it struck me in the same way, it seemed too cliche to be true, the threw chemicals on him and beat him up and put a noose around his neck? It just struck me as fishy, like he was writing a bad story for English 101.
Then I heard that he KEPT THE NOOSE AROUND HIS NECK until the police arrived, almost an house later. Huh? Then he wouldn’t give over his phone? Then the police were unable to definitively capture video of the assailants, even though it was in a major city with cameras EVERYWHERE?
Again, if it turns out that they are able to find any corroborating evidence, I will apologize, but my gut keeps telling me that something is off.
To make my position clear, I would like to say that I completely believe Christine Blasey Ford, all the Cosby accusers, Weinstein’s accusers, Kobe Bryant’s accuser, etc.
I am a progressive liberal, and I am socially and politically active, I also have learned to trust my gut.
I really hope that he didn’t fabricate the story, and I hope that I am wrong, but for now, I really doubt his account.
The fact that that situation was a hoax doesn’t mean this one is. He has more to lose by making up something like this than that anonymous woman did. People actually think he would fracture his own rib for attention or something?
because hollywood is super sympathetic, especially to anyone with his “credentials”.
Reporters in Chicago are saying the Chicago PD have not seen any medical records stating that he had a broken rib.
In an update today he said he was bruised up, but his rib wasn’t fractured.
The only thing is he told the police he was speaking with his manager at the time of the attack. If (Big if) Jussie made up this story and risk his career and reputation, why would his manager go along with a hoax? The manager would also risk losing everything(clients, reputation)
I’m not saying this Jussie’s story is true or not true. For the people saying “why would he do this” people do things for lots of reasons. Some people having a nervous breakdown makes up stories, just saying. IMO the story has holes in it, eg why walk in the dead of night when a threat was made on you recently? Why not call 911 right away, why wait for 40 minutes, i know I’ll get killed for saying this. I still am hoping he’s truthful and the people who did this is caught and punished.
Hi, BnA fan-
“For the people saying ‘why would he do this’ people do things for lots of reasons.”
“Why not call 911 right away, why wait for 40 minutes”
********************************************
Ok…so from your perspective, “people do things for a lot of reasons” is a suitable and believable explanation as to why a famous actor would make up a huge hoax.
Yet you question why he wouldn’t call the police right away. So why isn’t “people do things for a lot of reasons” a suitable answer to your question?
Maybe he didn’t call because he was scared they would come back.
Maybe he was in shock.
Maybe he didn’t know what to do.
I mean, come ON.
When I was punched in the face by a crazy guy, guess what my first reaction was?
NOTHING.
I was stunned. Then when I saw the blood, I started crying. It was my FRIEND who called for police and ambulance because I was too out-of-it to think straight.
I think maybe people watch too much TV. Real-life trauma doesn’t play out like an episode of CSI, guys.
Kitten, I have seen so many things in my life that people do that makes no sense. I’m just saying that he was offered protection from his job, he turned it down. He knew he was being targeted and he decided to walk home in the dead of night by himself at 2 am, why not take a taxi. He went into his building, the safety of his apartment and then called 911 but did not get the police to call for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. Took himself to the hospital, was he not afraid to go to the hospital without police protection. I’m not talking about the phone thing he has a right not turning it over.
Another thing, when I look at the shawdy photos, IMO, one of the person looks like a woman to me, the one on the right. Btw, I’m not saying he’s lying, just saying something seems off to me.
I’m sorry to hear what you went through, I can imaging how scared you were, I have been through a mugging myself, I fought off the boys, I believe 3-4 after it was over I could not stop crying, thank god I was ok.
Hope I’m commenting on the right comment. But did they ever figure out who sent the letter? I’m going to sound like a conspiracy nut but is it possible the victim sent the letter himself? Maybe they need to focus more attention on the letter.
Also, I’ve never heard of the victim, don’t know anything about him or his reputation, so I’m just throwing things out there.
but, but…Why would anyone do this to themselves??????? what a world we live in – a gay black man get beaten up, almost lynched, and because he doesnt want the police to take his phone and sell the contents to TMZ, people think he is lying….. what a f**king world…
I have seen someone light her night gown on fire to get a nurse fired. She was angry with the nurse and believe if she injured herself the nurse would be fired. People do strange things for revenge ect.
I stated below that I believe Jussie and to play Devil’s advocate: Sherri Papini faked her own kidnapping and tortured herself. People fake their own deaths. People lie about assaults and robberies and drug use and car crashes. People make things up for attention or fame or money. People do things for all sorts of awful reasons, or reasons that don’t make any sense, even when they can be easily disproven. “Why” is never a good defense and should be taken out of discussions like this.
@broodytrudy. If I’m not mistaken, the sherry papini case is still bei investigated and it hasn’t been proven that she faked it
Hi Bryn, you’re right, maybe she’s not the best example. Luckily google brings up a host of other people so we can at least scrub that question from our mind regardless! People are weird, man.
Weirdly enough i was 100% on board until yesterday, now I’m like 90/10 but due to TMZ’s video description. We all know TMZ isn’t the best with reporting, but can we talk about the video?? They stated yesterday that the video shows Jussie, then he leaves the camera for about 60 seconds, when he comes back there’s “street salt” on his shirt and a rope around his neck. Do we have more clarification on it and i just haven’t seen? To be brutally beaten and up walking back in 60 seconds is weird to me. But I’m guessing there must be a time hop somewhere? I believe him, but the video is throwing me off.
and its not just what they are saying about that video (smollett leaving view of cameras for less than one minute), its what they are not saying. This is no mention of anyone following smollett off video or 2 individuals showing back up on video after the attack. Its like they just vanished. We are only given images of 2 individuals that were on a nearby street about 15 minutes before the alleged attack occurs.
I have to agree w Lonnie and I am also a progressive liberal who believes victims so it’s not like I’m some MAGAnut. Those people can go f themselves. But the only thing I can think of as to “why” is that maybe he was actually jumped but the circumstances were different and then in the 40 minutes in between the attack and the call to the police both he and his manager came up with the story for whatever reason—attention to violence against LGBTQ people, sympathy, whatever. It seems like an extremely “packaged” story.
Plus, not for anything, Chicago is far from MAGA Country. We are an extremely dark blue city who ran Trump out of town for one of his only rallies he scheduled here in 2016.
“Chicago is far from MAGA country” On what basis are you saying this exactly? Your own experiences? Polling data? There are a great many people of colour whose experiences within Chicago would directly contradict what you’re saying here. And there are plenty of “progressive liberals” who are racist and display racist attitudes every day, so saying this doesn’t exactly add much credence to your viewpoint.
In the new reports, the police say he didn’t mention the MAGA comments until the next day. Strange
@Renee, the police have vacillated on the exact details of the event multiple times, including the MAGA comments. Why would you trust the what the police are saying on this issue when they’re the ones who have been putting out multiple conflicted statements and leaking information to TMZ and the press?
Sooooooooooooo…
I live in Chicago and am very familiar with the area where the attack took place. The thing I find odd is that a couple of brazen MAGA loonies would be roaming around in Streeterville. Tourists perhaps???
Empire is filmed in Chicago. Jussie had been receiving threats at least a week before this. He was being targeted, not randomly recognized and attacked.
We understand all of that, broody. That doesn’t change anything that I said. I just commented that I thought it was odd that MAGA nuts would be wandering around that particular area. Much like Caroline said. It’s just odd and out of character for Chicago to have an attack like THAT to happen. That’s why I said maybe they were tourists.
Maybe i misunderstood your wording, then. Roaming brings to mind people looking for a rando person to attack, not stalking someone you’ve been threatening for at least a week. Glad we’re all on the same page!
Oh gotcha. Yeah, I meant them being in the area in general, not as it related to the actual attack. Yes, we are on the same page!
But broody you are assuming that the person(s) who made the threat are the same ones who attacked him. I don’t think you can automatically assume that.
Wasn’t there a woman from the building he lives in who said that she had seen two men hanging out in front of the building (with some distance between them, but she thought they were in contact with eachother) and those men didn’t seem to belong in the area? Because if he was being targeted, it doesn’t really matter in which area the attack happened.
Yeah, me neither. It was -20 people can barely get around let alone beat someone. People have to bundle up so as to avoid frost bite so how did they recognize him in the dark? Why was he taking the way back to his apartment through back allys and loading docks? Why leave the rope around your neck to “preserve evidence” but not think to call the cops immediately?
Im sure something happened, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t it. I’ve seen a lot of racist stuff go down in my life, and this isn’t lining up. I’ll wait for more info, but I’m not hitching to this wagon.
Hi wow, i just responded to a similar comment above yours, you might not have seen it yet. Jussie has reportedly been threatened for at least a week. Also, empire films in chicago. This was a targeted attack, not some randos on the street. The reporting on this has been really awful, so i think things in the story have been easy to miss. Hope this helps!
As @broodytrudy explains, this was a targeted attack. He’s been receiving threats for a week leading up to what happened, so it’s very likely that he was being stalked.
As for why he didn’t call the cops immediately–do we really need to go over why a black man in Chicago would hesitate to call the cops after being brutally attacked? Really? We really need to discuss this?
Lonnie, are you a white woman? Seriously asking.
“I have a degree in Woman’s Studies, so I am an ally”
No. You’re not. In fact, the way you’re flashing your credentials about to show off just how “woke” you are in order to absolve you from your blatant lack of empathy is an attitude that’s very very endemic to the sorts of people I know in Women’s Studies programs. They’re the same sorts of people who graduate with a degree, who work with prominent women’s organizations, for whom the shine of their credentials and their outward image is more important than doing the necessary work. They wear their activism like a smug badge, as if it’s a get out of jail free card for their absolutely stunning inability to feel compassion for the people they’re supposed to be “helping.” An inability much like the one you’re displaying here, by the way.
Personally, I think your degree was wasted on you. And your professed allyship is useless in light of the fact that your actions directly contradict your words. You’re not behaving much like an ally, regardless of how much you say you are one. Walk the walk first, please, and for the love of god, try to cultivate some amount of grace and empathy within yourself for other people for a change.
Thanks for your comment, A. I was shaking my head the whole time I read her comment. I have a degree in women’s studies too, and looking back it was a laughably white-centric degree. I believe Jussie, not because of a stupid degree, but because I am a human being.
Let’s be real, though. In these comments, is anyone acting like they are so good because they are ‘human’? These are some heartbreaking and mean words, but unfortunately, I see A’s point.
@A, I WISH I was as tactful as you with a verbal/written smack down. Beautifully done.
Oh please A. Eye roll.
I can’t win for losing here, can I?
I mention my degree only to provide context to my statement.
I am a true ally, not simply a performative one. I am also old enough to remember other hoaxes that were tremendously harmful to the progress of feminism/lgbtq rights. I remember I was in college when the Duke lacrosse case made headlines, and what a nightmare that was, also, remember the harm Rolling Stone did a couple of years ago?
Being an ally, and having empathy, does not mean that you have to blindly believe every story that is told. There is something fishy about this, and as I have said, if they can simply find a shred of evidence that backs up his statements, I will apologize. Will you apologize to me if it comes out that he was lying? Because your statements about me are pretty cutting.
@Lonnie, those were some truly hurtful words and I would hope so. Let’s be honest, I don’t think it will matter to posters how you feel about this situation if it doesn’t fit with their perspectives. You had to know you would get skewered, but that was a pretty brutal one.
@NicoleInSavannah,
Yes, I agree that I knew I was going to get skewered, but I think it is so important that we are allowed to think critically about these situations.
My default setting is to believe survivors, I believe the survivors stories 99% of the time. I also believe that this idea that we should deny our doubts or instincts based on the notion that any type of doubt makes us a graceless, sociopathic conservative dummy is very problematic.
A’s militant view on what does or does not constitute an ally does no one any good, and perhaps someday she will learn that it isn’t all or nothing with regards to political/social/LGBTQ affiliation.
I will continue to maintain that being discerning in my support and looking at the individual nuances of different situations is important and necessary.
Lonnie the other interesting point is the woman (dog walker) who claims she saw two men lurking by the building an hour and a half prior. With what looked to be rope poking out of a jacket. It’s a stretch to think two people stood out in the “freezing” cold weather for that long waiting to pounce on this guy. This is a strange story that reminds me of Sherri Papini.
I don’t understand how or why this is even a conversation.
Are they intimating that he put a noose around his own neck? Three bleach on himself? Beat the shit out of himself – to the point of needing to stay overnight in a hospital? What?
Also – so fing what if he didn’t want to give the police his phone. A few years ago I was sexually assaulted in the park while walking my dog – and frankly the most traumatic part wasn’t the encounter with the assailant, but dealing with the police afterwards.
So sorry you experienced that- the attack and the lack of support from the authorities who should have helped you. You deserve better. I hope you’re healing as well as possible.
DP, thanks for your kindness, but just to clarify I don’t want to overstate the assault. I was grabbed by a couple of guys who licked/kissed my face and touched my crotch, but ran away as soon as they saw my dog running over. The whole thing lasted under a minute (I think). I say this because while dealing with the police afterward was worse (being swabbed, fingerprinted, being handed a folder of mugshots to identify assailants, having my clothes taken away) and stressful, the assault itself was ‘better’ and ‘less bad’ than what happens to many many many men and women. I can’t say I would have found the police worse, had the assailants done worse. I hope that makes sense? My point is that I don’t mean to minimise the experiences of other victims by intimating that assault sucks but the police are worse.
The same people, unfortunately went on to assault/rape 6-7 other people that weekend (including men and women, in a university town), so in a sense I was very lucky.
Clare, I’m so glad you were ok. How terrifying!
Look I’m not famous and I’m not giving the cops my phone either. All my pictures, banking apps, work contacts, personal texts and emails? No way no how. Is that even a common thing to ask for if a victim of assault?
They want his phone/phone records for dirt to make his attack look like a “both sides” thing. Don’t blame Jussie for forcing them to get a warrant/subpoena.
His refusal doesn’t mean he’s lying. Or that his manager is.
Protection from unreasonable search and seizure is one of our constitutional rights, so telling the police to get a warrant is his prerogative. It doesn’t mean guilt or innocence. But perception is everything, and not giving up the phone makes some people think that equals guilt.
Cops like to see if you have any kind of pics, texts, or links on the net that they can use against you. Especially if you are a minority or a woman. And you have the audacity to make a claim against a white perp or a cop even.
Never give them a thing. Always have witnesses or legal rep. Been there.
I would not in a million years turn over my phone, and even more if I was a black man living in America. Not weird at all.
Why do people, especially those who are not otherwise involved, shame and doubt the victims?
It reminds me of the crazy HOAXERs that believe school shootings don’t really happen and then harass the families.
I can’t imagine going through so much suffering and pain AND then having people doubt you and call you a liar on top of it. Just terrible.
They seem to be leaning toward the theory that this was a hookup gone bad. I think they want the phone to see if there was any Grinder activity- and so what if there was? It doesn’t lessen the attack itself. But i can see why he wouldn’t surrender the phone cause you know the next day the headline would be Jussie’s Grinder date gone bad or some such shit.
Please. My instinct is to believe him even if they don’t find the maggot assailants. He is black. Gay. Living in America. In Donald Trump’s America.
It’s not weird to decline to hand over your phone to police. They can extract a boatload of data from the phone and all the applications on it. Here’s the website of the company that makes the thing that extracts data from phones and tablets and the like.
https://www.cellebrite.com/en/products/ufed-ultimate/
I’m boring, so I’d probably hand it over if I was feeling traumatiz, but no one should hand over any private information without a subpoena, including your phone. Maybe I will default to never handing it over now.
I don’t blame him at ALL for not wanting ot hand over his phone. I wouldn’t either, if I were him. I’m not sure I understand not handing over the phone records to corroborate that he was on the phone with his manager. Presumably they need to know that they were actually on the phone if they’re going to use the manager’s statement.
America. The land where the innocent have to prove they aren’t guilty of lying for being attacked by Nazis bc racist homophobic bigots don’t want to be called out and held responsible for their disgusting actions.
Isn’t that the truth. Well said.
Also, there are rumors in Chicago (where I am) that the attackers are CPD. Rumors at this point, but……FAR stranger and worse things have been known to go on in the community here. Just what I’m hearing from local folks.
I just saw an article about a CPO pulling over a AA 23-y-old and then impounding her car for lack of insurance in the middle of the night. She lived a block away and refused the officer’s offer of a ride home, (smart, smart girl) and then the officer filmed her walking away in -18 weather and cheerily called out “bye Felicia”, he also captioned the picture ‘black girl magic’ & mentions Black History month. He has since been reassigned to desk work and stripped of his corporal ranking, while this is investigated.
Same cop was demoted in ’08 when he fired his gun towards his girlfriend during an argument.
It was a Detroit officer, not Chicago. Get your news correct before you post.
@amg, no one’s claiming that that happened in Chicago. But it’s indicative of how police officers operate when it comes to black people in America.
She said CPO – Chicago Police Officer, probably trying to say CPD. I can’t stand when people post factually incorrect information.
But I guess I can give the benefit of the doubt that by CPO she meant…City Police Officer?
Sure Jan.
@amg, lmao, honey no. She said “a CPO.” As in, a Commissioned Police Officer.
I sure hope the stretch from the incredible reach you just made didn’t hurt your back.
Okie dokie.
It was actually an accident, a brain fart if you will. I was thinking about the above story while typing my comment and put the wrong police initials in my comment. My apologies @amg and thanks for barking your order at me.
@A, you rock, thanks.
I believe Jussie Smollett. He and his manager are smart to have a healthy dose of wariness of Chicago police. It hasn’t been that long since the DOJ investigation report and the guilty verdict of a police officer murdering a young black man.
While I generally tend to believe most police officers are decent, it only takes one to ruin your life. I would never give my phone to the police. Four years ago, CHP Officer Sean Harrington admitted to forwarding/taking his own pictures of explicit photos from DUI suspects’ cell phones to/on his own phone and then forwarding them to other officers. He claimed it was an ongoing game among the officers. Read: this could conceivably happen all the time for any reason.
What disturbs me is how there’s an energy to make Jussie’s experience into today’s version of a Morton Downey Jr.
Now TMZ is saying he refused to turn over phone but was never asked to turn over records.He is in the process of releasing phone records now.Also TMZ is saying he never said they were wearing MAGA hats he said they said “MAGA country”.Lastly he was not wearing the rope at the hospital.He was wearing the rope when he entered his building after the attack.
The Smolletts have been scandal free for decades IMO he is not going to tarnish his family name by fabricating a hoax.For what reason? I watched his InstaStory he was stuck in NY for hours due to the weather.So after 7 hrs he is going to finally make it to Chicago and say let me fake a hate crime on a Tuesday .
That’s a really good statement.
I’m astounded that people are seriously suggesting this is a hoax. A black man nearly lynched in today’s America — I hate to believe it too, but these types of people have been given free rein by the very systems put in place to protect us.
No footage whatsoever of the attack despite a legion of security cameras in the area and a refusal to hand over the phone AND a story that seems to keep changing. No wonder he is being questioned as to what really happened that night.
His story doesn’t keep changing, it’s TMZ that keeps changing their story.
Irony is not lost on here.
TMZ has provided an update:
“Jussie Smollett did not refuse to hand over phone records to cops … rather, he didn’t want to turn over his phone … sources directly connected to Jussie tell TMZ.
The sources say cops “informally asked” Jussie if he would surrender his phone … to verify he was talking to his manager on his cell when he was attacked. We’re told he felt “uncomfortable” doing that and declined, but he was never asked about phone records. A Chicago police official had said Jussie refused to turn over both the phone and records. We’re told Smollett has already said he will provide the records, and is in the process of gathering them.
The sources want to clear up 2 other points. First, there are reports that Jussie told cops his assailants were wearing MAGA hats. The sources underscore what TMZ first reported … that Jussie never said the men were wearing the hats. Rather, they screamed “MAGA country.”
And the last point … there are reports that Jussie had the rope around his neck long after the incident when he was being treated at the hospital. We’re told that is not the case. He did have the rope around his neck when cops arrived at his building 42 minutes after the incident. The sources say he kept it there to “preserve the evidence.”
smollett requested the cpd to turn off their body cams before being asked questions and giving a statement. If cpd says he refused to hand over the phone or its records, i am going to believe them. What might be happening is smollett seeing the bad publicity that position has given him and has now changed his tune about providing records. IT would only take me about 10 minutes to pull up my verizon account and show those records, so if he’s cooperating on that matter, then cpd should already have the records.
@wig, I mean, if you’re gonna put your trust in an institution that has repeatedly failed victims, especially if they’re women and POC, that’s your prerogative. But I think it’s worth remembering also that multiple studies have shown there’s a deeply rooted white supremacist presence in police departments around the country, and it’s been shown that they often go out of their way to protect racists and others of their ilk. So again, if you’re going to put your trust in an institution that has been known to protect perpetrators such as these and punish victims, that’s on you.
You always know how privileged one is where one cannot fathom why another person, particularly a double marginalized person, would not want to turn over their phone to the police. Some of these comments don’t amaze nor disappoint me. When you don’t grasp how life really is in America for some Americans, you question realities for which you need not worry.
This is exactly what I was thinking. The fact that some folks can’t even conceive the idea that a black man in America, especially a gay black man in America who had just been assaulted, wouldn’t immediately think to turn to the police, especially given the fact that as a rule, the police have failed to help people who are like him before, shows just how coddled in their own privilege some people are. Must be nice.
Does anyone know how Jussie is doing? Any updates on recovery, etc.?
He released a statement today saying he’s OK.
I believe Jussie Smollett. A lot of people are talking about how there are “holes” in the story. But if you look carefully, you’ll notice that a lot of the sources cited by TMZ are from the Chicago PD. And they’ve given multiple contradictory statements right from the very beginning, starting with the “MAGA hats/MAGA shouting” stuff. I don’t understand why anyone would think Jussie Smollett is lying, when the Chicago PD haven’t done a single thing on their part to prove their own credibility. Them being the police isn’t enough in this regard, given that we know for a fact police departments tend to lie and be negligent, and then lie about how negligent they are. If you ask me, it looks like there are a lot of people in the Chicago PD who are willing to talk to tabloids for the $$$, even if it means shredding someone else’s credibility in the process.
Also, some of the folks here are very naive about the function of the police and their own rights when it comes to dealing with the police and turning over evidence. It’s not about the CPD potentially leaking incriminating information about Jussie Smollett’s life to the public. It’s a question of his rights as a citizen per the fourth amendment. You are inured against seizure of your personal effects without a warrant. Some of you need to read up on your rights per the constitution when it comes to dealing with the police, because this is how they get access to your personal information that you don’t want them having access to. And if they want to, the police will absolutely use it against you if it suits them. Learn your rights, folks.
There’s also a chance he WASN’T talking to his manager but someone else that he wants to keep confidential. Maybe seeing someone who wants to remain anonymous?
I don’t believe this story. I never have believed this story. It sounded fake from the beginning. I’m not a maga person. I’m not a homophobe. I’m a black woman. I don’t have any prejudices that would give me any reason to want to dent this story. I just don’t believe it. Not because it sounds to far fetched, but because it sounds made up. I wouldn’t be surprised if soon the investigation turned to Jussie himself.
You know what disturbs me the most about this? The people who did it seemed to know exactly where the cameras were. They knew where to drag him too so they could continue with their torture and not be seen. They knew when to look down when they were on a street with a camera. It makes me wonder if they’re law enforcement or are involved with a larger group of people who are trained in surveillance.
I am truly shocked by the comment section and people throwing around their conspiracy theories. It might be easier for your soul that all of this is a hoax but you just damage the victim and support MAGAs. We need to rally around him and support him!