Jussie Smollett to appear on ‘GMA’ for first interview since reporting attack (Exclusive)
Jussie Smollett will sit down with “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts for his first interview since telling police he was assaulted by two men, TheWrap has learned.
Roberts flew to Chicago on Tuesday for the interview, the network said, and the interview will air on Thursday morning’s show.
On Jan. 29, Smollett told Chicago police that two men attacked him while yelling racial and homophobic slurs and referencing “MAGA.” A police statement said chemicals were poured on the “Empire” star’s face, and a rope placed around his neck.
But Chicago Police Department say he was slow to turn over material pertinent to the investigation. Police had asked for Smollett’s phone records because he said he was on a call with his manager, Brandon Z. Moore, during the attack.
On January 31, two days after the incident CPD said that detectives “were not able to independently verify the statements as cell phone records were not provided to investigators when asked. Therefore we are not able to confirm this.”
Smollett did eventually turn over his phone records. But CPD rejected them, saying they were heavily redacted.
A Chicago police spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement: “We are very appreciative of the victim’s cooperation however the records provided do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation.”
On Tuesday, Smollett’s publicists pushed back on CPD’s statement, saying that the actor was only trying to protect the privacy of personal contacts.”
“Any redacted information was intended to protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack,” his reps said in a statement.
Reps for Smollett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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