In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Empire actor Jussie Smollett was attacked in a hate crime. The two perpetrators beat him, called him the n-word and the homophobic n-word, poured bleach on him, hung a rope around his neck, shouted “MAGA!” and then promptly ran off. Stollet has been in the hospital, and his family has just released a statement to ET, saying:
“In the early hours of Tuesday morning, our beloved son and brother, Jussie, was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.”
“Our family thanks everyone for their prayers and the huge amount of love he has received. We are thankful to our village for your immense support during this trying time. We are so grateful that God saw him through this cowardly attack alive. Jussie is a warrior whose light cannot be dimmed. We want people to understand these targeted hate crimes are happening to our sisters, brothers and our gender non-conforming siblings, many who reside within the intersection of multiple identities, on a monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily basis all across our country. Oftentimes ending fatally, these are inhumane acts of domestic terrorism and they should be treated as such. They will continue to occur until we hold each other accountable.”
“Make no mistake, words matter. Hateful words lead to hateful actions. Radical love is the only solution, but passivity will be our downfall. We, as a family, will continue to work for love, equity and justice until it reigns supreme in our nation and all over the world. With love & gratitude, the Smollett Family.”
Our thoughts, as always, are with Smollett and his family. Let us know what you think of the statement on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.
