Did Jussie Smollett get the idea for ‘hate crime’ from his boss?

‘Empire’ actor Jussie Smollett may have been inspired to allegedly concoct a hate crime after seeing his boss’s reaction to learning that a family member was a victim of a homophobic assault.

According to TMZ, ‘Empire’ creator Lee Daniels posted an Instagram video on January 10 to call for an end to homophobic violence, citing a recent alleged attack against his cousin.

“This past week my cousin was beat up for being gay and I am sick of hearing these stories,” Daniels reportedly wrote in the social media post. Daniels discussed the incident and his feelings about it with cast and crew of the show, and they seemed to be affected by it, according to the report.

Sources who were present on set reportedly told TMZ they believe Smollett may have orchestrated the homophobic attack as a way of getting into Daniels’ good graces — perhaps resulting in a raise or an elevated position on the series. As CrimeOnline previously reported, authorities have accused Smollett of staging the purported hate crime because he wasn’t happy with what he was earning on the show.

On Friday, the New York Post reported that Smollett told authorities this week that he had an untreated drug problem. But court records show that he denied having any addition or mental health issues.

 

 

[Feature image: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File]