Police: 'Empire' actor staged attack to 'promote his career'

Chicago's police superintendent Eddie Johnson says "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett staged a racist and homophobic attack because he was unhappy about his salary and wanted to promote his career. Before the attack, Smollett also sent a threatening letter that targeted himself to the Fox studio in Chicago where "Empire" is filmed.

Police say Smollett turned himself in and was arrested early today to face accusations that he filed a false police report when he told authorities he was attacked in Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck. Johnson told reporters at a news conference "he took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career."

He later added "this publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn't earn and certainly didn't deserve.”

The whispers about Smollett's account started with reports that he hadn’t fully cooperated with police after telling authorities he was attacked. Then detectives in a city bristling with surveillance cameras couldn’t find video of the beating. Later, two brothers were taken into custody for questioning but were released after two days, with police saying they were no longer suspects. Johnson said Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 to stage the attack.

Following three weeks of mounting suspicions, Smollett was charged Wednesday with felony disorderly conduct, a charge that could bring up to three years in prison and force the actor, who is black and gay, to pay for the cost of the investigation into his report of a Jan. 29 beating.