Jussie Smollett A Job Offers Story ... In 3 Acts
EXCLUSIVE
Jussie Smollett[1]'s career is just like an awesome script ... complete with a major plot twist, then a climax and now the aftermath -- and it ain't pretty.
Sources familiar with Jussie's current situation tell TMZ ... he was living a pretty good Hollywood life before claiming he was viciously attacked in Chicago. He was getting entertainment biz offers every other week, if not weekly.
We're told Smollett's star actually skyrocketed right after the alleged attack was initially reported[2]. Our sources say he was getting hit up nonstop for movies, TV gigs, commercials and, of course, interviews and appearances[3].
When his story went off the rails[4] and he was arrested[5] and charged with a felony for filing a false police report ... the well ran dry. We're told Smollett's getting zero calls for new work, and is being treated like a pariah.
Makes sense. Hollywood's waiting to see how his case plays out, but the 16-count indictment[6] the grand jury handed up Friday can't help.
As we reported ... "Empire" also removed Jussie's character[7] from the final 2 episodes of the season in order to keep peace on the set ... where some of his co-stars are butting heads over whether to support him[8].
On the bright side -- if there is one -- Chicago PD launched an internal investigation[9] out of concerns the force was leaking information, and some of the claims[10] by the Police Superintendent have been