Jussie Smollett Gives First Interview Since Attack: They Said ‘This is MAGA Country’ And Punched Me in the Face

Empire actor Jussie Smollett used his Thursday interview with Good Morning America to go into detail regarding his alleged assault by two men last month in Chicago.

After expressing his frustrations with those who doubt his claim of being attacked in a possible hate crime, Smollett recalled how he was out late that night to find food after arriving in the city. As he walked, Smollett said the assault happened after his attackers referred to him as Empire, along with several derogatory epithets.

“I turned around and said ‘what did you say to me?’ And I see the attacker, masked, and he said, ‘this MAGA country,’ punches me right in the face, so I punched his ass back, then we started tussling. It was very icy and we ended up tussling by the stairs.”

Smollett went on to say he found a rope around his neck after his two attackers ran off, saying he didn’t realize it at first because “it was so fast.”

“It felt like a minute, but it probably was like 30 seconds, honestly, I can’t tell you,” Smollett said. “I noticed the rope around my neck and I started screaming.”

Smollett also said that he provided the best description of his attackers as he could to the police, but he also justified his inability to be more descriptive because “people can wear ski masks and nobody is going to question that,” during winters in Chicago.

Chicago police say Smollett has been cooperative and consistent in his story as they investigate the incident, but there have been a lot of questions raised over the attack as well. The Chicago PD did not make a note of the alleged pro-Trump remarks in their first statement on the attack, plus Smollett was reluctant to turn over his phone records at first, citing privacy concerns.

Watch above, via ABC.

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