TGP Calls Fake News on Jussie Smollett Right off the Bat

Jussie Smollett, a former “Empire” actor, was sentenced to 150 days in prison for making false statements to police post staging a hate crime.  Mainstream Media/Hollywood rushed to his defense, making sure to note “possible hate crime” in headlines the day following the “incident”.  TGP immediately questioned the legitimacy of Smollett’s story.

    We Said

  1. Hate Hoax? Lefty Actor Claims Trump-Supporting Homophobic Bigots Carrying Bleach and Rope Beat His Ass at 2 AM in Chicago (TGP's Christina Laila posed the question, 'Is this a hate hoax?'. Going on to say, "The story is extraordinary and sounds unbelievable. It is absolutely freezing in Chicago right now so Jussie Smollett was presumably wearing a beanie or a hat which would obscure his appearance. Why on earth would two white men be hanging around with rope and bleach and just happen to run into a celebrity and recognize him at 2 AM in the streets of Chicago?")

    They Said

  1. Jussie Smollett, Star of ‘Empire,’ Attacked in What Police Call a Possible Hate Crime
  2. 'Empire' star attacked in possible hate crime: Authorities ("Jussie Smollett was in Chicago when two masked people beat him up, wrapped a rope around his neck and yelled slurs, police said." Video says "they were yelling 'MAGA-Country' as they beat him". )
  3. Police Say 'Empire' Actor Jussie Smollett Attacked In Possible Hate Crime ("The 36-year-old actor took himself to the hospital directly after what police called a "possible racially-charged assault and battery"; authorities say he is in good condition.")
  4. 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett attacked in possible hate crime ("Smollett was attacked by two people who were 'yelling out racial and homophobic slurs' and 'poured an unknown chemical substance on the victim,' police said." "CNN's Don Lemon and Ryan Young contributed to this report.")
  5. John Legend: Tweet ("Sending love to Jussie and the Smollett family after this horrific attack. We support you and pray that you find peace and justice.")

    Consensus

  1. Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police in hate crime hoax ("Cook County Judge James Linn spoke for more than 30 minutes before announcing Smollett's sentence, telling the actor that he wrote the script and picked the actors for the hoax, and that his premeditation for the act was an 'aggravating factor' in the case. 'There's a side of you that has this arrogance, and selfishness and narcissism that's just disgraceful,' the judge said. 'You're not a victim of a racial hate crime, you're not a victim of a homophobic hate crime. You're just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that's shameful.'")