On Tuesday, authorities dropped the charges against actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of faking a racist, homophobic attack. And Twitter had a lot to say about the latest developments.
» RELATED: Charges dropped against actor Jussie Smollett
In January, the "Empire" actor told police he was confronted in Chicago in the early morning hours of Jan. 29 by a pair of men who yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him, hit him in the face, poured an unknown substance on him and wrapped a rope around his neck.
Officers later arrested Smollett on several counts of disorderly conduct in falsifying a police report, but all charges were dropped after the Cook County State's Attorney's office reviewed the facts and circumstances of the case, including the star's good standing and community service.
The state made a legal decision to seal the records, and Smollett’s record was wiped clean.
When news about the case was announced, people took to Twitter to share their thoughts. Many said they were “confused” and wanted more information.
A few made other speculations about why the charges against him were dropped. Some even said he made a “back room deal.”
Patricia Holmes, Smollett’s attorney, later clarified the charges being dropped is “not part of a deferred prosecution” and there “is no deal.”
» RELATED: 7 things to know about Jussie Smollett
Many said they still didn’t believe Smollett, and the case is the “perfect example of how our justice system is broken.” They believed the actor had not been held accountable and the resolution was “a slap in the face to real victims of real hate crimes.”
The latest developments also sparked a debate about privilege.
On the other hand, folks accused the Chicago Police Department of fabricating lies, calling the department “corrupt.”
And a couple reflected on Smollett’s legacy and said he may never be able to recover from the scandal.
MORE: AJC interview with Jussie Smollett
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