Disgraced actor Jussie Smollett’s manager was hesitant to identify him in the 911 phone call made after the hoax attack occurred, according to audio obtained by the New York Post.
The former Empire star originally claimed that he had been ambushed by two masked Trump supporters. Jussie Smollett said they shouted, “This is MAGA Country” and claimed his assaulters poured a bleach-like substance over him. Eventually, two Nigerian brothers who knew Smollett — Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo — stepped forward and claimed Smollett instructed them to stage the attack.
Audio released from the night of the January 29 hoax features two separate phone calls made by Smollett’s manager Frank Gatson. In the first call, made 20 minutes after the “incident,” Gatson spoke in generalizations and hesitated to reveal Smollett’s identity.
“I just need the police to come by. I work with an artist — I don’t really want to say his name — but he states that [redaction] he went to Subway he was walking by and some guys somebody jumped him or something like that, and I just want to report it and make sure that he’s alright,” Gatson said, according to the New York Post’s report.
Gatson told the dispatcher that Smollett was just “startled,” adding that the “attackers” put a noose around Smollett’s neck and left it there.
“I just think he’s startled. I’m scared and I don’t know what it is — They put a noose around his neck,” Gatson said. “They didn’t do anything with it, but put it around his neck. That’s pretty f–ked up to me — sorry for saying it like that.”
When asked why Smollett didn’t report the alleged incident himself, Gatson replied: “He was cool, he didn’t want me to call you guys.”
The dispatcher told Gatson that he couldn’t file a report on Smollett’s behalf, but Gatson promised that Smollett would file a report.
“He’s definitely gonna make the report. I’m gonna make him make the report,” Gatson said.
Gatson made a second phone call at 2:38 a.m., approximately 16 minutes after the first phone call.
“I reported I’ve been waiting on the police,” he said. “I thought they’d be here by now.”
Police pulled up right after the second phone call.
Jussie Smollett was ultimately arrested for filing false police reports, but the charges were shockingly dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in March.
Chicago is suing Smollett for $130,000 to cover the cost of resources used to crack his hate crime hoax.
Additionally, Lee Daniels, the co-creator of Empire, said Smollett will not return to the hit Fox show.
@Variety @JoeOtterson This is not factual. Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire. -LD
— lee daniels (@leedanielsent) June 4, 2019
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