Trial of actor Jussie Smollett, accused of faking hate crime, goes to jury

CHICAGO : The jury began deliberations on Wednesday in the trial of actor Jussie Smollett, a one-time star of the TV drama"Empire" who stands accused of orchestrating a hate crime against himself to raise his celebrity profile.

Smollett, 39, has denied that he faked the attack, pleading not guilty in February 2020. He took the stand this week and told the jury that"there was no hoax," according to NBC.Celebrities and others rushed to support Smollett when he first made the accusations in early 2019 that he was the victim of a hate crime and said that his attackers had shouted"This is MAGA country," a reference to Trump's trademark slogan -"Make American Great Again.

A month later, police arrested Smollett, accusing him of paying two brothers US$3,500 to stage the attack in a hoax aimed at gaining public sympathy and raising his show-business profile. Smollett's acting career has faded since the incident. He lost his role as a singer-songwriter in the final season of"Empire," a Fox television hip-hop drama that ended a five-year run in 2020.

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