Out actor Jussie Smollett on Friday
released his first statement since suffering a homophobic attack in
Chicago.
Smollett, who is black and came out gay
in 2015, was attacked early Tuesday morning by two men wearing masks
in downtown Chicago. The men hurled racial and homophobic slurs and
told Smollett that he was in “MAGA country.”
(Related: Jussie
Smollett at home recovering after possible anti-gay hate crime.)
Smollett, 36, plays Jamal Lyon, a gay
character, on the Fox drama Empire.
“Let me start by saying that I’m
OK,” Smollett said in a statement given to ESSENCE. “My
body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly, I want to
say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has
meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words.”
“I am working with authorities and
have been 100% factual and consistent on every level. Despite my
frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and
misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that
justice will be served,” he continued. “As my family stated,
these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers
and non-gender conforming siblings daily. I am not and should not be
looked upon as an isolated incident. We will talk soon and I will
address all details of this horrific incident, but I need a moment to
process. Most importantly, during times of trauma, grief and pain,
there is still a responsibility to lead with love. It’s all I know.
And that can’t be kicked out of me.”
In a statement released Thursday,
Smollett's family said: “We want to be clear, this was a racial and
homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the
very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they
will find these men and bring them to justice.”
The Chicago Police Department has said
that it is investigating “persons of interest” from surveillance
videos. The FBI is investigating a threatening letter laced with
white powder Smollett received last week. A spokesman told CNN that
the white powder was aspirin.
Smollett, also a musician, is scheduled
to perform Saturday in Los Angeles.