Jussie Smollett Charged With Lying to Police About Attack

by Daryl Nelson

Jussie Smollett is in big trouble.

The actor was certainly in hot water before when he was accused of lying to police about being attacked, but now he's in even deeper. A grand jury just hit him with 16 felony counts, one count for each false statement police say he made to them during two separate interviews.

In late January, the "Empire" actor told Chicago police that two white men yelled racial and homophobic slurs while they pummeled him, poured an unknown liquid substance on his body, and put a noose around his neck. 

But later police said Smollett hired two Nigerian brothers who were extras on "Empire" and staged the whole thing, which Joe Budden thought was the case all along.

There is video footage of the two brothers buying some of the items that Smollett said was used in the attack. Prosecutors say he paid them $3,500 to assist him.

The actor hasn't commented yet, but he's already been clowned by people like 50 Cent and Boosie Badazz.