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‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett hospitalized after homophobic and racist attack

The actor has been publicly out since 2015

Published

7 years ago

on

Jussie Smollett (Screenshot via Twitter.)

“Empire” star Jussie Smollett was hospitalized in Chicago after suffering a brutal homophobic and racist attack early Tuesday morning.

TMZ reports Smollett landed in Chicago, where “Empire” is currently filming, from New York City late Monday night. Around 2 a.m. on Tuesday morning, Smollett was walking out of sandwich chain Subway when he was approached by two men in ski masks.

“Aren’t you that fa**ot ‘Empire’ n**?” the men allegedly yelled at Smollett. The men proceeded to beat Smollett and fracture his rib. The assailants poured bleach on Smollett and put his neck in a noose yelling at him “This is MAGA country.”

The suspects fled the scene and Smollett was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He was treated and discharged a few hours later.

ThatGrapeJuice.net reports that Smollett had been the target of a homophobic and racist threat sent to Fox Studios in Chicago eight days before the physical attack.

The letter, addressed to Smollett, spelled out the words “You will die black f*g” in cut-out letters.

The Chicago Police Department told E! News they are currently investigating the incident as a “possible” hate crime.

“Overnight, the Chicago Police Department received a report of a possible racially-charged assault and battery involving a cast member of the television show Empire,” CPD Chief Spokesman Anthony Gugliemi told E! News. “Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime. Detectives are currently working to gather video, identify potential witnesses and establish an investigative timeline.”

Smollett portrays gay musician Jamal Lyon, the son of music mogul Lucious Lyon, on the hit Fox series. Smollett publicly came out as gay in a 2015 interview with Ellen DeGeneres.

The  New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) issued a statement in response to the incident highlighting the particular oppression of people with intersectional identities.

“While details are still developing, the hate violence Jussie Smollett experienced is reflective of what we see in our national data on hate violence, in our clients in New York City as well as the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) across the nation. LGBTQ people living at multiple intersections of oppression, such as racism and homophobia, experience compounded violence. This reality is what informs us to do our work holistically. Jussie is not alone. Gay Black men are some of the most vulnerable to violence in the LGBTQ community and this must continue to be addressed. Our work focuses to end and disrupt systemic violence that thousands of LGBTQ survivors face, while also working to support survivors in the aftermath of violence. Our deepest thoughts and commitment to this work is with Jussie and all survivors.”

As details of the attack emerged, GLAAD issued a statement via the Hollywood Reporter: “Jussie is a true champion for LGBTQ people and is beloved by the community and allies around the world.”

Fox, the home network of “Empire,” also said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened and outraged to learn that a member of our Empire family, Jussie Smollett, was viciously attacked last night. We send our love to Jussie, who is resilient and strong, and we will work with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice. The entire studio, network and production stand united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate — and especially against one of our own.”

“Empire” creator Lee Daniels sent an emotional message of support to Smollett in an Instagram video.

“It’s taken me a minute to come to social media about this because Jussie, you are my son,” Daniels says. “You didn’t deserve to have a noose put around your neck, to have bleach thrown on you, to be called ‘die f––––t, n––––r,’ or whatever they said to you. You are better than that. We are better than that. America is better than that. We have to love each other regardless of what sexual orientation we are, because it shows that we are united.”

“No racist f––k can come in and do the things that they did to you. Hold your head up, Jussie. I’m with you, I’ll be there in a minute. It’s just another f–––––g day in America,” Daniels concluded.

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We got this @jussiesmollett ?????

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Other celebrities sent an outcry of support for Smollett and demands for justice.

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Television loses a legend, longtime ‘Will & Grace’ director James Burrows

Iconic hitmaker leaves behind a legacy of telling LGBTQ stories

Published

1 day ago

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June 23, 2026

By

James Burrows (Photo by kathclick/Bigstock)

You don’t have to be a pretentious film major to name 10 movie directors. But naming television directors is not that simple. They’re the unsung heroes of your favorite shows, and the late James Burrows was the television director. He passed on June 19, but his DNA runs through television history. 

He directed over 1200 episodes of television and over 50 pilots. He co-created “Cheers” and directed many episodes of long-running series like “Friends,” “Taxi,” “Frasier,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Two and a Half Men.” You also may remember him from playing a heightened version of himself on the Lisa Kudrow comedy “The Comeback.”  

He has left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ community. As recently as last year, he directed the series run of “Mid-Century Modern” starring Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, and Linda Lavin. He was also a longtime director of “Will & Grace” and directed every episode of the series revival. He even directed the unaired “Absolutely Fabulous” pilot with Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Johnston, and Zosia Mamet. 

Not to mention he’s worked with queer icons throughout history, including Betty White and Stockard Channing on their single-season series, and Jennifer Coolidge in “2 Broke Girls.” 

He started his career on shows like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Rhoda,” “Laverne & Shirley,” and the first four seasons of “Taxi.” 

He continued to work steadily and directed successful pilots that went to series for “Roc,” “3rd Rock From the Sun,” “Dharma & Greg,” and “Wings.” He directed multiple episodes of “Friends,” “Caroline in the City,” and “Frasier.”  

This magic continued into the 2000s with him directing the pilots for “Two and a Half Men,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and multiple episodes of “Mike & Molly,” and the entire return series of “Will & Grace.” 

What was the secret to his success? He’d enact the “fun clause” in his contract. In his words, “Life is too short to deal with obnoxious leads,” he shared. “So as long as the writing is good and the cast is fun, I’m going to enjoy the experience.” 

He had the magic touch, having multiple pilots turned into long-running series. He was nominated for an Emmy 24 times in 26 years and worked consistently until a year before his death.  

The secret was the way he brought the cast together. He describes, “it was my job to mold them into an ensemble, and they did round into a group of people who loved each other.”

This earned him 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, including being awarded the inaugural DGA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction. 

In a 2003 interview by the Television Academy, he was asked how he wants to be remembered, and he said, “That every night forever you can tune in somewhere, and there’ll be a show I did.”

He’s survived by his wife, Debbie, four daughters, seven grandchildren, and the countless people whose careers he launched and the countless viewers he inspired with his television legacy. 

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