Jussie Smollett's Phone Records Rejected by Police as New Surveillance Videos Emerge
The investigation into the attack on Jussie Smollett continues.
A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department told ET on Tuesday that detectives rejected the cell phone records the Empire star submitted via PDF one day earlier because they were heavily redacted.
According to police, a PDF is subject to manipulation, but they are not saying they have any evidence that Smollett manipulated his phone records -- detectives have now asked Smollett to submit his actual phone bill or a download of his entire phone. Police also told ET that detectives had recently obtained surveillance video from stores in the area where the attack happened to see if anyone bought rope around the time the incident occurred.
As the investigation continues, Smollett is still cooperating with detectives, and authorities are continuing to treat the actor as the victim of a hate crime, the spokesperson added.
A rep for Smollett told ET on Tuesday that the actor is "the victim here."
"Jussie has voluntarily provided his phone records from within an hour of the attack and given multiple statements to police. Chicago PD has repeatedly informed us that they find Jussie's account of what happened that night consistent and credible," the rep said. "Superintendent Johnson has been clear from day one that Jussie is a victim. We are continuing to work closely with the Chicago PD and remain confident that they will find Jussie's attackers and bring them to justice. Any redacted information was intended to protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack."
A source previously told ET that Smollett was walking around Chicago in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, when two men started yelling racial and homophobic slurs at him, before repeatedly hitting him. The men then poured a substance on him -- believed to be bleach, according to the source -- and one of the attackers put a rope around his neck.
The Chicago Police Department claims they previously asked Smollett for his phone in an effort to corroborate certain details from his accounting of the incident, which includes him being on the phone with his talent manager, Brandon Z. Moore, when the attack occurred.
Smollett released a statement on Feb. 1 addressing the attack. The following day, he appeared on stage at his West Hollywood show at The Troubadour, telling fans that he was going to "stand strong."
Hear more in the video below.
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