Actor Jussie Smollett was convicted Thursday of staging a racist, homophobic attack on himself and later lying to police about the matter. A panel of jurors reached the verdict nearly three years after the former “Empire” actor told police that two white supporters of President Donald Trump beat him up, put a noose around his neck, and yelled slurs at him on a frigid night in Chicago in January 2019. Jurors had deliberated for about nine hours Wednesday and Thursday. As the verdict was read in the courtroom, the 39-year-old actor stood and faced the jury, showing no visible reaction. Smollett was found guilty on five of the six felony disorderly conduct counts he faced—one count for each separate time he was accused of lying to police in the aftermath of the alleged attack. The count he was acquitted on was related to when he was accused of lying to a detective …
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