A Chicago judge has said charges that US actor Jussie Smollett staged a hoax hate crime against himself are "utterly outrageous" and "despicable" if true.
The 36‑year‑old African‑American actor is accused of filing a fake police report claiming he was the victim of a homophobic and racist assault.
Police say he staged the attack because he was "dissatisfied with his salary".
Smollett, who stars on the TV series Empire, is suspected of paying two brothers to stage the attack on himself.
[Source: BBC]
