The day before “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was allegedly attacked in a homophobic, racist hate crime, he apparently auditioned for a play with a nearly identical plot, according to a report from The Daily Mail.
The report states that Smollett had been in New York City auditioning for a role in a reboot of the 2003 Tony Award-winning play “Take Me Out,” a story about a gay, biracial baseball player victimized by racism and homophobia. The play’s main character is abused with the same language that Smollett’s alleged attackers yelled at him. Following his audition, Smollett flew back to Chicago, where he was allegedly attacked in the wee hours of the morning. (RELATED: ‘Good Morning America’ Host Robin Roberts Breaks Silence On Jussie Smollett Interview)
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 28: Jussie Smollett attends the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 60th Anniversary Opening Night Gala Benefit at New York City Center on November 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Smollett alleged that two men wearing Make America Great Again hats attacked him at a Subway in Chicago, yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him and screamed “This is MAGA country.” The alleged attack sparked an outcry from prominent Democratic politicians, some of whom used the incident to impugn supporters of President Donald Trump.
However, new details have emerged about the alleged incident and Chicago police now believe that Smollett paid two Nigerian brothers to help stage the attack. Smollett and his lawyers have denied allegations of a hoax and maintain that the incident occurred as he described.