Jussie Smollettwas accused ofallegedly filing a false reportclaimingtwo men attacked himin an apparent hate crime last month, and his former costar Rumer Willis was asked about the situation on Thursday morning.
Willis, who had a guest arc onEmpirelast year, addressed the news after Chicago police held a press conference in which they alleged Smollettpaid $3,500 to stage a “bogus” attackagainst him to draw attention to himself because he was dissatisfied with his salary.
“I just think it’s a really devastating situation for everybody involved,” she toldAccesswhile discussing her elimination andunveiling onThe Masked Singer. “I don’t really know what to say about all of it. I just think it’s really devastating.”
Asked if there were any signs of tension or disagreement between Smollett, 36, andEmpireexecutives, Willis, 30, said she’s too removed to shed any light on the situation.
“I haven’t been on the show in over a year,” she said. “I had a great time doing the show, but I’ve been kind of very separate from the whole thing for a while.”
Still, she added that the news is “very shocking.”
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Angela Weiss/Getty
Outside of Willis, the cast ofEmpirehas largely remained silent since the most recent developments in the case.Gabourey Sidibe, who has played Becky Williams on the Fox show since 2015, spoke out in support of Smollett on Instagram on Wednesday, but she has since deleted her post. (“I know him, I believe him, I stand with him,” she originally said.)
In a statement issued after Thursday’s press conference, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said: “We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process. We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”
Smollett, who is black and gay, is facing a felony charge of disorderly conduct. If convicted, he could serve up to three years in prison. He wasarrestedon Thursday morning, one day after he wascharged.
His bond hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT Thursday.
On Wednesday, the actor and his legal team said they are gearing up to launch an“aggressive defense”in light of the charge.
source: people.com
