Jussie Smollett has pleaded his innocence after facing 16 charges for allegedly falsely reporting a hate crime assault.
After an investigation, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett recruited two men to stage the attack because he was upset with his pay on the Fox show.
The 36-year-old was charged with one count of felony disorderly conduct last month, with Chicago’s police chief claiming that Smollett had paid two brothers to stage an assault on him.
“What is unexpected, however, is the prosecutorial overkill in charging 16 separate counts against Jussie.