Listen to Geraldo In Cleveland, Weekdays 9-10 am on Newsradio WTAM 1100, also available on 106.9 FM and on the free iheartradio app.
The curious case of Jussie Smollett seems to get more bizarre the the day. The 36-year-old actor made headlines with a sensational story that chronicled the Empire star being attacked by two men wearing red "Make America Great Again" baseball caps.
However, in the days and weeks since the alleged attack, new and confusing details started to make their way to media. First, after claiming his attackers were white men who were wearing Red "MAGA" hats, Chicago police announced they were looking for two Nigerian Nationals, Abel and Ola Osundairo in connection with the attack. Believe it or not, things only get weirder from there.
Chicago police discovered first hand connections between the brothers and Smollett, one was an extra in Empire, while the other was the actors personal trainer. Further investigation also found that in addition to knowing his attackers, Smollett may have even planned the attack himself, going as far as to rehearse the attack and select a location based security camera placement.
While many actors, athletes, and even Presidential candidates walk back comments condemning the attack and President Trump's supporters, it must be remembered that this is not the first time the country has gone down this particular rabbit hole.
While no one can be blamed for condemning hate crimes and speech, no one looks good after it's found that their condemnation was based on a lie. Just like anyone else, athletes, entertainers, and politicians don't like being fooled. While Smollett may have duped most observers this time, he has joined a list of people who make it harder for actual victims to get the help they need.
Make no mistake, the next time an attack goes ignored and the hateful people responsible go free, people like Jussie Smollett and Tawana Brawley will have blood on their hands.
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