Cardi B says she's 'really disappointed' in Jussie Smollett if he faked attack: 'Why would you do that, bro?'
The case of Jussie Smollett has everyone talking, both outside and inside Hollywood.
The Empire actor told police last month that he had been attacked by two men shouting racist and homophobic slurs near his Chicago home. By Friday, local police had released two men they’d picked up as suspects. Multiple reports, citing law enforcement sources, suggested that officers now believe the incident was staged.
In the wake of the fresh reports in the quickly evolving case, many recognizable names spoke out.
Ava DuVernay, the director of A Wrinkle in Time and other movies, noted that she’s not inclined to “blindly believe” the Chicago police after previous scandals, such as the one in which Det. Jason Van Dyke was found guilty of murdering teen Laquan McDonald in 2014.
Despite the inconsistencies, I can’t blindly believe Chicago PD. The department that covered up shooting Laquan McDonald over a dozen times? That operated an off-site torture facility? That one? I’ll wait. Whatever the outcome, this won’t stop me from believing others. It can’t.
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) February 17, 2019
Outspoken rapper Cardi B had more to say in a five-minute clip on Instagram Live.
“I’m really disappointed in him,” she said of Smollett, if it turns out he hasn’t been truthful. “I feel like he f***ed up Black History Month, bro.” Cardi B added that she was also suspicious of the cops and recounted her own experience with them. If Smollett lied, she said, she wanted to know the reason. “Why would you do that, bro?”
Meanwhile, Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney kept his reaction short and simple.
I believe and stand by @JussieSmollett . Keep your head up. @EmpireWriters @EmpireFOX
— Brett Mahoney (@TheBrettMahoney) February 18, 2019
President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. took the opportunity to retweet a joke about comedian Kathy Griffin, who’s infamously clashed with his father, on Sunday. Of course, Griffin had a retort.
It’s like clockwork with you two ladies. You and your father,(who hates you.)
I retweet one of the dads typical stupid tweets, my response gets a ton of traction, then jr hops on instantly, and plagiarizes a tweet that’s been around for at least 12 hours. You really showed me.🤣 pic.twitter.com/yh6AJjkwkL— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) February 17, 2019
For his part, Smollett denies faking the attack. In an interview last week on Good Morning America, he said he was “pissed off” at the suggestion he was lying.
His attorneys gave an additional statement to CNN over the weekend, as the case developed:
“As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with,” they said. “He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”
U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, both of whom fiercely defended Smollett when reports of the alleged attack first surfaced, have now said they are withholding judgment until there are more facts.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
