American actor
Jussie Smollett, popularly known for his TV series 'Empire', was attacked in Chicago on Tuesday by two men who hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him before punching him and wrapped a rope around his neck in a possible hate crime attack. The 35-year-old openly gay actor was later hospitalized following the early morning attack. The attackers also poured an unknown chemical substance on him.
The actor-singer was reportedly in the city for a scheduled Saturday concert.
Reports suggest the two men shouted “This is Maga country” after putting a noose around his neck and pouring bleach on him. Maga stands for "Make America Great Again" which was President
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan in 2016. The incident took place at 2 am.
The news has left the entertainment world and the gay advocacy groups speaking out in support of the victim. Many celebrities including
Priyanka Chopra and
Nick Jonas took to their respective Instagram handles to stand in support of Jussie Smollett.
Priyanka shared an Instagram story with Jussie's photo and captioned "Hate will never win. Thinking of you @jussiesmollett #justiceforjussie."
Nick Jonas also shared an Instagram story with Jussie's photo and captioned "Hate will never win. We stand by you @jussiesmollett."