A judge in Chicago ordered that “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett’s criminal records be unsealed after news organizations went to court to get them last week.
The records involving the 36-year-old actor had been sealed back in March shortly after charges against him were dropped by prosecutors, according to ABC7 Chicago on Thursday.
He was arrested and faced multiple felony charges for allegedly faking a hate crime that involved racist and homophobic slurs against himself in January.
Media attorney Natalie Spears argued that there was no point in keeping the records sealed anymore.
Man who allegedly threatened to shoot ICE agents had rifles, body armor and ammo cache, feds say
RNC regroups and recalibrates for midterm election fight
Anonymous letter to California GOP chapter calls for war on ICE, urges agents be sent ‘home in a body bag’
Thousands march through Minneapolis, swarm Target Center demanding ICE removal from Minnesota
Christians Beaten, Abducted in Nigeria as Church Service Attacked, Prayer Books Desecrated, and Worship Instruments Broken
GOP Rep. Releases Footage to Preemptively Crush Democrats’ ICE Detention Facility Stunt
Mamdani clarifies NYC won’t check immigration status for universal childcare enrollees
California sues Trump administration over allegedly ‘unlawful’ pipeline restart approval years after oil spill
Trump’s pardon of House Dem Cuellar back in the spotlight as his brother faces indictment
Mike Johnson Tells March for Life Attendees His Teen Parents Were Told to Abort Him, Is ‘Eternally Grateful’ They Refused
Judge’s rejection of Don Lemon charges faces conflict of interest concerns
RNC takes first step toward greenlighting Trump’s midterm convention
FCC Puts Jimmy Kimmel and ‘The View’ on Notice in Warning to Shows ‘Motivated by Partisan Purposes’
More than a million veterans left without primary care providers because of VA staffing losses, watchdog warns
Indiana judge and wife allegedly shot by ‘high-ranking’ gang member facing trial in victim’s court
“There is no way to secrete the fact of Jussie Smollett’s arrest. At this point it is widely and publicly known from here to Helsinki and back,” Spears shared, per the Chicago Tribune. “No potential employer, let alone anyone with a pulse, does not know about Jussie Smollett’s arrest at this point.”
Meanwhile, one of Smollett’s attorney, Brian Watson, argued that the actor had a right to privacy afforded to other people.
“The root of this problem is not Mr. Smollett,” Watson shared. “The root of this problem is that the media, Mrs. Spears’ clients, created publicity, and now her clients want to use that against someone who wants to get their rights back.”
As previously reported, the actor initially claimed he was attacked on the streets of his home in Chicago by two men who he said threw a rope around his neck and poured a bleach-like substance on him. They also reportedly yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him.
Man who allegedly threatened to shoot ICE agents had rifles, body armor and ammo cache, feds say
RNC regroups and recalibrates for midterm election fight
Anonymous letter to California GOP chapter calls for war on ICE, urges agents be sent ‘home in a body bag’
Thousands march through Minneapolis, swarm Target Center demanding ICE removal from Minnesota
Christians Beaten, Abducted in Nigeria as Church Service Attacked, Prayer Books Desecrated, and Worship Instruments Broken
GOP Rep. Releases Footage to Preemptively Crush Democrats’ ICE Detention Facility Stunt
Mamdani clarifies NYC won’t check immigration status for universal childcare enrollees
California sues Trump administration over allegedly ‘unlawful’ pipeline restart approval years after oil spill
Trump’s pardon of House Dem Cuellar back in the spotlight as his brother faces indictment
Mike Johnson Tells March for Life Attendees His Teen Parents Were Told to Abort Him, Is ‘Eternally Grateful’ They Refused
Judge’s rejection of Don Lemon charges faces conflict of interest concerns
RNC takes first step toward greenlighting Trump’s midterm convention
FCC Puts Jimmy Kimmel and ‘The View’ on Notice in Warning to Shows ‘Motivated by Partisan Purposes’
More than a million veterans left without primary care providers because of VA staffing losses, watchdog warns
Indiana judge and wife allegedly shot by ‘high-ranking’ gang member facing trial in victim’s court
However, by the end of the investigation police concluded the attack on the “Empire” star was a hoax. Soon after, he was arrested and faced 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct for making a false police report.
Then all charges against him were suddenly dropped by the State Attorney’s office.
The records are expected to be unsealed Thursday.
