Former Empire Star Jussie Smollett Trial Date Set For November

Former Empire star, Jussie Smollett will stand trial.

Actor Jussie Smollett will go to trial next month on charges accusing him of faking a hate crime in Chicago in 2019.  A Cook County judge says jury selection in the high-profile case will begin November 29th. 

Last year, a special Cook County grand jury indicted Smollett on six counts of filing a false report. 

According to the New York Times, Judge Linn set the date for jury selection. However on Oct. 15, there will be a hearing on a new motion to dismiss the case.

Smollett is accused of orchestrating the phony hate crime on himself with the help of two brothers, who are key witnesses in the case. 

Reportedly, the two brothers met Jussie on a set of Empire and allegedly bought drugs for him and trained him. They stated Smollett paid them to attack him.

The Chicago Police Department used the city’s surveillance camera system plus taxi cameras and ride-sharing records. To discover the only two people in the vicinity at the time of the attack were Ola and Abel Osundairo.

Prosecutors initially charged the former “Empire” actor with disorderly conduct, then abruptly dropped the case about a month later. 

Smollett has previously suggested another narrative was “intentionally created” to make it seem like he’s lying. “These are the things that people don’t necessarily know because the lies and the things that were not true were yelled from the rooftop,” Smollett said. “There is a tape … there is something, but of course, it cuts off right before it happens.”

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