Lee Daniels, the co-creator of the American drama series Empire on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201), now says that he is "beyond embarrassed" about his former forceful defence of Jussie Smollett after the disgraced actor earlier this year claimed that he was physically attacked in the United States in a hate crime.
In late-January this year Jussie Smollett was hospitalised after a physical assault that he claimed was homophobic and racist but the police ended up arresting Jussie Smollett after an investigation, saying he staged the attack.
The charges were then abruptly dropped although the city of Chicago has sued him to recoup the money spent on the investigation.
Meanwhile Jussie Smollett's character of Jamal Lyon has been written out of Empire that was cancelled with its upcoming 6th season that will be the last.
Unsealed Chicago police records show how Jussie Smollett brought drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and marijuana from the two Nigerian brothers who he arranged to attack him and who were eventually arrested.
In an interview with Vulture Lee Daniels now says that "I'm beyond embarrassed. I think that when it happened, I had a flash of me running from bullies. I had a flash of my whole life, of my childhood, my youth, getting beaten."
Lee Daniels says what Jussie Smollett did was "a huge betrayal" if "it turned out that he did it, was guilty, and all of it's accurate".
Lee Daniels says he is still holding out some hope that Jussie Smollett didn't stage the hate crime attack on himself.
"Of course, there's some doubt. I’m telling you that because I love him so much. That’s the torture that I’m in right now, because it’s literally if it were to happen to your son and your child, how would you feel?"
"You would feel, Please, God, please let there be that glimmer of hope that there is some truth in this story. That’s why it's been so painful. It was a flood of pain."
"I had to detach myself and stop calling him because it was taking away the time I have for my kids, the time I have for my partner. It was affecting my spirit and other shows, everything."
