close Video

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Actor Jussie Smollett on Wednesday offered fresh criticism of the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and the city's former mayor, Rahm Emanuel, calling them "villains" for their role in his conviction over an alleged hate crime hoax.

Smollett, who is Black and gay, originally reported to Chicago police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks in January 2019.

He was convicted in 2021 of staging the hate crime himself, but it was later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on due process grounds, ruling that Smollett had originally reached an agreement with the state to avoid prosecution. The court did not rule on the actor's guilt or innocence in the case.

"The villains are t

See Full Page