Prosecutors Drop All 16 Charges Against "Empire" Actor Jussie Smollett

In an absolutely stunning resolution to the Jussie Smollett case, prosecutors dropped all 16 charges against the Empire actor, who stood accused of lying to police about being the victim of a racially charged attack near his Chicago home. As The Chicago Tribune notes, there had been no clue that prosecutors planned the about-face before dropping the charges. After Judge Steven Watkins approved the dismissal, Smollett's attorneys released a statement which read, in part, "Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement." Added Smollett after emerging from court, "I would not be my mother's son if I was capable of one drop of what I was accused of." Smollett consistently denied paying two brothers he worked on Empire with to help stage the alleged hate crime, in which he claims his assailants shouted, "This is MAGA country," and put a noose around his neck.