‘Empire’ Studio Says It's ‘Gratified’ That Jussie Smollett Was Cleared

(Bloomberg) -- The TV studio behind “Empire” said it’s happy to see charges dropped against actor Jussie Smollett in a hoax hate-crime case.

“Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed,” 20th Century Fox Television, a recently acquired unit of Walt Disney Co., said in a tweet Tuesday.

Smollett, 36, had faced a 16-count indictment accusing him of falsely reporting that he was the victim of a homophobic attack. The actor, who is black and openly gay, pleaded not guilty. He plays the gay character Jamal Lyon on “Empire,” and the studio previously said it would cut his character from the final episodes of the season.

In a stunning turnaround Tuesday, attorneys for Smollett said that all charges alleging he lied about the attack had been dropped. Prosecutors said they believed it was an “appropriate resolution” in the case, considering Smollett’s community service and an agreement to forfeit his bond to Chicago, the Associated Press reported.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nick Turner in Los Angeles at nturner7@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net

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