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It’s been nearly two weeks since the alleged hate crime against Empire star Jussie Smollett occurred and the case feels as though it’s just as much unsolved as it was the first day. So far we have two mystery men identify that were seen walking nearby the area at the time it occurred and police are now trying to find the origin of where the rope found around Jussie’s neck was. So again, not very much around this case as far as evidence goes. And as Mediaite’s John Ziegler stated today, both Chicago’s local media and their police department don’t appear to be buying Jussie’s story.
Based on the conversations Ziegler has had with reporters in Chicago, there’s a huge difference in what’s being reported and what they’re saying behind the scenes. And that is that there’s almost a unanimous feeling among law enforcement that the story isn’t true. Making matters worse is the fact that no one wants to question any of the details for fear of being the one to call out a gay, blac, liberal actor victim. Doing so would come with complete and swift bashing which of course, no one wants even if they turn out to be right. That’s what Ziegler calls Jussie’s “Political Correctness Force Field.” The doubting of his story is what he compares to when a 7 year old stops believing in Santa. The significance of the matter then becomes that much more important to keep the illusion going.
Chicago ABC affiliate reporter Rob Elgas and Fox affiliate reporter Rafer Weigel have both chosen to go on Twitter to express their thoughts and frustrations on the case as it’s likely information they can’t give on air.
Weigel tweeted “Since so many have asked me if @Chicago_Police will let #JussieSmollett case go unsolved, I’ll give my opinion. Given the high-profile nature of the crime, I don’t believe so. I believe they’ll either find the perpetrators responsible or charge #Smollett w/ filing a false report.”
He went on to write “#Chicago is already dealing with a negative image when it comes to crime. Proving #JussieSmollett made up the story would go against that narrative. Conversely, @Chicago_Police bringing any suspects to justice for this horrible crime would bolster the dept’s image.”
Don Lemon is appearing on a pre-recorded episode of Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk this Monday where he said “My initial reaction was sadness. I wasn’t shocked. I didn’t like that it happened to him.” You can take a look at the preview of the episode below:
Photo Credit: JM11/Joseph Marzullo/WENN/Newscom
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