“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was arrested Thursday in Chicago after he was charged with filing a false police report claiming he had been the victim of an attack, police said.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Thursday that Smollett was in the custody of detectives.
Police planned to hold a briefing Thursday to discuss the case.
Guglielmi had said Wednesday night that detectives would make contact with Smollett’s legal team to “negotiate a reasonable surrender for his arrest.”
His bail hearing is set for 1:30 p.m.
Smollett’s lawyers had said in a statement Wednesday that “like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”
The actor had claimed he was attacked as he walked to his Chicago apartment from a Subway eatery on Jan. 29.
Smollett was indicted Wednesday night after investigators said his status changed from alleged victim to suspect. New video also surfaced reportedly showing two brothers linked to the assault buying ski masks and a red hat.
He told police on the day of the attack that two men jumped him around 2 a.m. He said they punched and kicked him, placed a rope around his neck and doused him with a chemical. He said they made homophobic and racist slurs.
The actor would later discuss the attack on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and claim that he heard “this is MAGA country” as he was allegedly being beaten, a reference to President Trump’s “Make America Great” catch-phrase.
Smollett faces a minimum of one year in prison.