About this episode

The episode explores the Jussie Smollett incident, examining the inconsistencies and controversies surrounding the case.

In January 2019, ‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett was the victim of a racial and homophobic hate crime perpetrated in Chicago that shocked the nation and sparked an outcry from seemingly Hollywood’s entire A-list. But it didn’t take long for cracks in his story to emerge. In our season 1 finale, we explore the logic holes, inconsistencies, and downright bizarre twists in this years-long saga involving race, sexuality, police brutality and celebrity. Plus, a lot of tangents. SOURCES The Truth About Jussie Smollett? (Netflix) https://www.biography.com/actor/jussie-smollett https://www.out.com/entertainment/2016/1/28/exclusive-jussie-smollett-being-black-and-gay-hollywood https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/feb/03/im-the-gay-tupac-jussie-smollett https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/jussie-smollett-video-shows-brothers-red-hat-ski-mask/ https://time.com/5560430/jussie-smollett-donald-trump-fbi/ https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chicago-police-chief-eddie-johnson-fired-after-series-ethical-lapses-n1094301…

Topics covered

• hate crime
• celebrity
• race
• sexuality
• police brutality
• media coverage

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Empire, Netflix, CBS News, The Guardian, NBC News, Chicago Tribune, WBEZ

Books & works: The Truth About Jussie Smollett?

Places: Chicago

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