Arts & Entertainment
Police investigating if Jussie Smollett, brothers were together night of the attack
Production cuts down the actor’s ‘Empire’ scenes as probe continues
Update: Chicago Police investigated the tip which was dismissed.
Chicago Police are investigating a tip that Jussie Smollett and brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo, who were arrested in connection with the case and later released, were together the night of the alleged attack.
According to the Associated Press, Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says a person in Smollett’s apartment building claims they saw Smollett and the brothers together in an elevator together that night. Detectives are currently looking into the claim.
The brothers were arrested on Wednesday but released without charges on Friday. Multiple unnamed sources have stated that the brothers told police Smollett paid them to help stage the attack. Guglielmi did not confirm that information but told the Associated Press that “the information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation.”
As police continue to investigate the case, TMZ reports that “Empire” has cut Smollett’s scenes from the second to last episode of the season, which is currently filming. Smollett portrays Jamal Lyon, the gay singer and son of Lucious Lyon. Smollett was meant to appear in nine scenes in the episode but the number has been reduced to four. One of the cut scenes was a major musical number. Smollett will no longer be the focus of the rest of the remaining four scenes which has shifted to feature an ensemble.
The Blast reports that Smollett is looking to hire defense attorney Mark Geragos, who helped Colin Kaepernick settle a major grievance case against the NFL. Smollett is reportedly letting his Chicago legal team work on the investigation into his alleged attack and hopes Geragos can help manage the media and conduct interviews on his behalf. Geragos has also represented cases for Chris Brown, Michael Jackson and Winona Ryder.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
PHOTOS: Freddie’s Follies
Imperial Court of Washington drag group has ‘dissolved’
What to watch for in 2026: midterms, Supreme Court, and more
A reminder that Jan. 6 was ‘textbook terrorism’
Claudia López criticizes Trump over threats against Colombian president
D.C.’s 10 best theater productions of 2025
A look back at the best books of 2025
The year in photos
Safer Ways to Pay for Online Performances and Queer Events
