Jussie Smollett Rope From Alleged Attack 1st Image Released
5/31/2019 5:10 PM PDT
This is the rope Jussie Smollett[1] says his "attackers" wrapped around his neck on a cold Chicago night.
Prosecutors just released a slew of evidence from its investigation that led to 16 criminal charges[2] against the former "Empire" star and then an abrupt dismissal of all charges[3].
TMZ broke the story ... Jussie claimed he was attacked by 2 men[4] near his Chicago apartment in the dead of winter. He said they put a rope around his neck and then poured bleach on him and then left, screaming, "This is MAGA country!"
According to a receipt from the Crafty Beaver Home Center, the rope cost $2.99 and was presumably purchased by the Osundairo brothers. Everyone seems to agree, the brothers are the ones involved in the incident. They say it was staged at Jussie's behest[5] ... Jussie says it was real.
There's no video of the actual incident, but there is a surveillance cam in Jussie's apartment lobby that captured him with a rope around his neck. When cops arrived to interview him more than 40 minutes after the attack the rope was still entwined on his neck.