Jussie Smollet has stated that people would have believed him had it been he said the two men who attacked him we’re Muslims or minorities.
The Empire actor made this known in an interview with Robin Roberts on the Good Morning America show, which is his first since the attack.
“It feels like if I had said it was a Muslim or a Mexican or someone black I feel like the doubters would have supported me a lot much more and that says a lot about the place where we are as a country right now”, Jussie Smollet said.
On why he refused to turn over his phone to police:
“I‘m sorry, but I’m not going to do that! I have private pictures and videos and numbers.
My partner’s number, my family’s numbers, my castmates’ numbers, my friends’ numbers, my private emails, my songs.”
Speaking about the moments leading up to the attack:
“[Jussie was on the phone with his manager when the attack happened.]
While he was on the phone I heard, I was crossing the intersection, I heard ‘Empire!’ I don’t answer to ‘Empire.’ My name ain’t ‘Empire.’
[Then someone yelled a racial slur at him.]
So I turned around and said ‘What the f**k did you just say to me’ and I see the attacker masked. He said ‘This MAGA country n***er’ and he punched me in the face so I punched his a** back”.
Lailaijeoma