Jussie Smollett says he's 'pissed off' in first interview: 'It's the attackers, but it's also the attacks'
Jussie Smollett sat down with Robin Roberts for his first interview since January’s alleged assault on him. The Empire star has been accused by some of not telling the whole truth about the attack, which Chicago police are investigating as a possible hate crime.
In a clip previewing Thursday’s interview on Good Morning America, Smollett says he’s “pissed off.”
“What is it that has you so angry? Is it the attackers?” Roberts asks.
“It’s the attackers, but it’s also the attacks,” Smollett replies. “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.’ 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.'”
He continued, “And then it became a thing of, like, ‘Oh, it’s not necessarily that you don’t believe that this is the truth, you don’t even want to see the truth.’”
Smollett filed a police report after the Jan. 29 incident claiming two men, both wearing all black and one wearing a black mask, shouted racial and homophobic slurs at him around 2 a.m. as he was walking home. They purportedly beat him, poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him believed to be bleach and put a rope around his neck. In a follow-up interview with cops, the actor claimed the attackers shouted he was in “MAGA country,” referring to President Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Some people cast doubt on Smollett’s story because there were conflicting reports as to whether he refused a request to turn his phone over to police. (He was apparently talking to his manager when the attack occurred.) He turned over phone records; however, a police spokesperson said Tuesday that detectives rejected the records Smollett submitted via PDF Monday because they were heavily redacted.
A rep for Smollett reminded the public that his client 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 P.D. has repeatedly informed us that they find Jussie’s account of what happened that night consistent and credible,” the rep said. “Superintendent [Eddie] Johnson has been clear from day one that Jussie is a victim. We are continuing to work closely with the Chicago P.D. 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.”
Earlier this month the actor released his first public statement, expressing frustration with “inaccuracies” being reported.
“I am working with authorities and have been 100 percent factual and consistent on every level,” he said. “Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served.”
Catch Smollett’s interview with Roberts tomorrow morning on ABC.
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