Jussie Smollett's Attorneys Say Charges Against 'Empire' Star Have Been Dropped

Attorneys for Empire star Jussie Smollett say the charges against him in connection to an alleged attack in January have been dropped. In a tweet, the Associated Press wrote Tuesday: “Attorneys for Empire actor Jussie Smollett say charges alleging he lied to police about attack have been dropped.” Smollett pleaded not guilty to the 16 counts of disorderly conduct charges earlier this month. CBS Chicago reports that a judge has now sealed the case. Chicago police accused the Empire star of lying about being the victim of a hate crime and filing a false police report about the January 29 attack. However, Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal and his lawyers said in a statement that the actor has vowed to fight the charges. In a February interview with Good Morning America, Smollett dismissed those who claimed he was lying about the incident. “I’m pissed off. It’s like, you know, at first, it was a thing of, like, ‘Listen, if I tell the truth then that’s it,’ ’cause it’s the truth,” Smollett told Robin Roberts last month. “Then it became a thing of like, ‘Oh, how can you doubt that? Like, how do you — how do you not believe that? It’s the truth.’”