Jussie Smollett Says ‘Doubters Would Have Supported Me’ If He Said His Attacker Was Muslim or Mexican (Video)
“I have to acknowledge the lies, and the hate,” the “Empire” star tells “GMA” host Robin Roberts
Jon Levine | February 14, 2019 @ 4:48 AM
Last Updated: February 14, 2019 @ 6:11 AM
“Empire” star Jussie Smollett has given an emotional account of the night he says he was the victim of a racially motivated attack in Chicago, and said the doubters would probably have not questioned him if his attackers had been Muslim, Mexican or black.
“I have to acknowledge the lies, and the hate,” he told “Good Morning America” in an interview with host Robin Roberts that aired on Thursday. “And it feels like if I had said it was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me much more. A lot more. And that says a lot about the place that we are in our country right now.”
Smollett said the attack took place on Jan. 29 at 2 a.m., after the actor says that two men jumped him, yelling racial epithets while placing a rope around his neck. A police statement said unspecified chemicals were poured on the star’s face, and a rope placed around his neck.
Chicago police have not made any arrests in the case and have issued statements seeking access to Smollett’s cellphone since he said he was on a call with his manager, Brandon Z. Moore, during the attack.
Smollett turned over redacted phone records, but a Chicago police spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, said in a statement, “We are very appreciative of the victim’s cooperation however the records provided do not meet the burden for a criminal investigation.”
Smollett addressed why he was initially reluctant to hand over the records, saying he did not want his private information in the hands of the police.
“They wanted me to give my phone to the tech for three to four hours. I’m sorry but — I’m not gonna do that,” he said. “Because I have private pictures and videos and numbers: my partner’s number, my family’s number, my castmate’s number, my friends’ numbers, my private emails, my private songs, my private voice memos.”
All 15 EGOT Winners, From Audrey Hepburn to John Legend (Photos)
Richard Rodgers, composer (1902-1979) Emmy: Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composed, "Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years" (1962) Grammy: Best Show Album, "The Sound of Music" (1960); Best Original Cast Show Album, "No Strings" (1962) Oscar: Best Song, "It Might As Well Be Spring" from "State Fair" (1945) Tony: three for "South Pacific" (1950); one each for "The King and I" (1952), "The Sound of Music" (1960) and "No Strings" (1962)
Helen Hayes, actress (1900 - 1993) Emmy: Best Actress, "Schlitz Playhouse of Stars: Not a Chance" (1953) Grammy: Best Spoken Word Recording, "Great American Documents" (1977) Oscar: Best Actress, "The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932); Best Supporting Actress, "Airport" (1970) Tony: Best Actress in a Drama, "Happy Birthday" (1947); Best Actress in a Drama, "Time Remembered" (1958)
Rita Moreno, actress (1931 -) Emmy: Supporting Actress, Variety or Music, "The Muppet Show" (1977); Lead Actress for Single Appearance in a Comedy or Drama, "The Rockford Files" (1978) Grammy: Best Recording for Children, "The Electric Compan" (1972) Oscar: Best Supporting Actress, "West Side Story" (1961) Tony: Best Supporting Actress in a Play, "The Ritz" (1975)
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John Gielgud, actor (1904 - 2000) Emmy: Best Actor in a Miniseries or Special, "Summer's Lease (1991) Grammy: Best Spoken World Album, "Ages of Man" (1979) Oscar: Best Supporting Actor, "Arthur" (1981) Tony: Outstanding Foreign Company, "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1948); Best Director of a Drama, "Big Fish, Little Fish" (1961)
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Audrey Hepburn, actress (1929 - 1993) Emmy: Best Individual Achievement, Informational Programming, "Gardens of the World With Audrey Hepburn" (1993) Grammy: Best Spoken Word Album for Children, "Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales" (1994) Oscar: Best Actress, "Roman Holiday" (1953) Tony: Best Actress in a Drama, "Ondine" (1954)
Marvin Hamlisch, composer (1944–2012) Emmy: Four awards, two for work on "Barbra: The Concert" (1995) and one each for "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies" (1999) and "Timeless: Live in Concert" (2001) Grammy: Four awards in 1974, including Best New Artist, Song of the Year ("The Way We Were"), Best Album of the Original Score ("The Way We Were") and Best Pop Instrumental Performance ("The Entertainer") Oscar: Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Song, "The Way We Were" (1973) and Best Adapted Score, "The Sting" (1973) Tony: Best Musical Score, "A Chorus Line" (1976)
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Jonathan Tunick, music director and composer (1938 - ) Emmy: Music Direction, "Night of 100 Stars" (1982) Grammy: Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals, Cleo Laine's "No One Is Alone" (1988) Oscar: Best Adapted Score, "A Little Night Music" (1977) Tony: Best Orchestrations, "Titanic" (1977)
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Mel Brooks, performer, writer and director (1926 - ) Emmy: Best Writing in Variety, "The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special" (1967); three awards for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy, "Mad About You" (1997-99) Grammy: Best Spoken Comedy Album, "The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000" (1998); Best Long-Form Music Video, "Recording 'The Producers'" (2002); Best Musical Show Album, "The Producers" (2002) Oscar: Best Original Screenplay, "The Producers" (1968) Tony: Best Musical, Original Score and Book of a Musical, "The Producers" (2001)
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Mike Nichols, performer, director and producer (1931 - 2014) Emmy: Best Director of Miniseries, Movie or Special, "Wit" (2001); Best Made for Television Movie, "Wit" (2001); Best Directing of Miniseries, Movie or Special, "Angels in America" (2004); Best Miniseries, "Angels in America" (2004) Grammy: Best Comedy Performance, "An Evening With Mike Nichols and Elaine May" (1961) Oscar: Best Director, "The Graduate" (1967) Tony: Best Director of a Play, "Barefoot in the Park" (1964), "Luv" and "The Odd Couple" (1965), "Plaza Suite" (1968), "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (1972), "The Real Thing" (1984), "Death of a Salesman" (2012); Best Musical, "Annie" (1977); Best Play, "The Real Thing" (1984); Best Director of a Musical, "Monty Python's Spamalot" (2005)
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Whoopi Goldberg, performer and producer (1955 - ) Emmy: Best Special Class Special, "Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel" (2002); Best Talk Show Host, "The View" (2009) Grammy: Best Comedy Recording, "Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording" (1985) Oscar: Best Supporting Actress, "Ghost" (1990) Tony: Best Musical (producing), "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (2002)
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Scott Rudin, producer (1958 - ) Emmy: Best Children's Program, "He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin'" (1984) Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2012) Oscar: Best Picture, "No Country for Old Men" (2007) Tony: 12 awards, for producing musicals "Passion" (1994) and "The Book of Mormon" (2012) and the plays "Copenhagen" (2000), "Doubt" (2005), "The History Boys" (2006), "God of Carnage" (2009), "Fences" (2010), "Death of a Salesman" (2012), "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" (2015), "Skylight" (2015), "The Humans" (2016) and "A View From the Bridge" (2016)
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Robert Lopez, composer (1975 - ) Emmy: Best Music Direction and Composition, "Wonder Pets" (2008, 2010) Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2012); Best Compilation Soundtrack, "Frozen" (2015), Best Song for Visual Media, "Let It Go" from "Frozen" (2015) Oscar: Best Original Song, "Let It Go" from "Frozen" (2014) Tony: Best Score, "Avenue Q" (2004); Best Score and Best Book of a Musical, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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John Legend, songwriter and producer (1978-)
Emmy: Outstanding Live Variety Special, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert"
Grammy: Best New Artist (2005); Best R&B Album, "Get Lifted" (2005); Best R&B Vocal, "Ordinary People" (2005); Best Male R&B Vocal, "Heaven" (2006); Best R&B Duo or Group, "Family Affair" (2006); Best R&B Vocal or Group, "Stay With Me by the Sea" (2008); Best R&B Album, "Wake Up!" (2010); Best R&B Song, "Shine" (2010); Best R&B Vocal, "Hang On in There" (2010); Best Song Written for Visual Medium, "Glory" (2015)
Oscar: Best Original Song, "Glory" from "Selma (2014)
Tony: Producer of Best Play Revival, "August Wilson's Jitney" (2017)
Andrew Lloyd Webber, composer and producer (1948-)
Emmy: Outstanding Live Variety Special, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert"
Grammy: Best Cast Album, "Evita" (1980); Best Cast Album, "Cats" (1983); Best Contemporary Composition, "Lloyd Webber: Requiem" (1985)
Oscar: Best Original Song, "You Must Love Me" from "Evita" (1996)
Tony: Best Score, "Evita" (1980); Best Score, "Cats" (1983); Best Score, "Sunset Boulevard" (1995)
Tim Rice, lyricist and producer (1944-)
Emmy: Outstanding Live Variety Special, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert"
Grammy: Best Cast Album, "Evita" (1980); Song of the Year and Song for Film or TV, "A Whole New World" (1993); Best Album for Children, "Aladdin" (1993); Best Cast Album, "Aida" (2000)
Oscar: Best Original Song, "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin" (1992); "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from "The Lion King" (1994); "You Must Love Me" from "Evita" (1996)
Tony: Best Book and Best Score, "Evita" (1980); Best Score, "Aida" (2000)
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Only a few entertainers have earned competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards
