Actor Jussie Smollett (Empire) Assaulted in a Hate Crime Incident with Two Men

                                          

(By David K. Li)

"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was assaulted in Chicago on Tuesday by two men who hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him and wrapped a rope around his neck in an attack police are investigating as a hate crime, officials said.

Smollett, 36, had just landed in town from New York was out getting a bite to eat at about 2 a.m. CT (3 a.m. ET) in the East North Lower Water Street when two men attacked him, the actor told police.

Two "unknown offenders approached him and gained his attention by yelling out racial and homophobic slurs towards him," according to a statement from the Chicago Police Department. "The offenders began to batter the victim with their hands about the face and poured an unknown chemical substance on the victim."

"At some point during the incident, one of the offenders wrapped a rope around the victim's neck," the statement continued. "The offenders fled the scene."

Smollett took himself to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment. The extent of his injuries were not immediately known. 

On "Empire," Smollett plays Jamal Lyon, the estranged son of his music-industry titan father played by Terrence Howard. Jamal is a gay singer-songwriter and his sexual orientation and career independent has him at odds the family patriarch.

Smollett came out as gay to Out Magazine in 2016, a few months after "Empire" first aired on
Fox.        
Latest}}}Jussie was released from the hospital this morning, according to TMZ. He reportedly suffered from a fractured rib. According to a police statement given to ET, the Chicago Police Department is “taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime.” Find a statement from CPD below. Let me just add there is a lot of jealousy for a good looking, adult  black man to be so succesful and talented.