Media playback is not supported on this device Jussie Smollett is charged with felony disorderly conduct in relation to filing a false police report
Actor Jussie Smollett has been found guilty of making a false police report in relation to a hate crime against him in January.
The 36-year-old, known for his role in Empire, was found guilty of felony disorderly conduct for reporting the alleged attack to police in January.
He will be sentenced in March and faces up to three years in prison.
The charges stem from Smollett’s claim that he was the victim of an attack by two men with “MAGA” hats, while he was walking home from a restaurant in Chicago.
He said he was attacked by a physical and psychological attack, using racist and homophobic language, before he was tied up and thrown into a back alley.
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According to a statement from his legal team, Smollett declined to speak outside court on Thursday.
“His civil rights were violated, and for that he is grateful to the prosecutors and law enforcement who worked so hard to hold Jussie and the perpetrators accountable,” they said.
“Jussie is a fighter and will continue to fight for justice.”
Police eventually identified two brothers – Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo – as being behind the attack, after interrogating them for hours and tracking down their Uber ride.
Ola and Abimbola Osundairo have pleaded not guilty to disorderly conduct for helping Smollett.
Police claimed that he paid them to stage the attack, in order to credit his account of the incident and put a spin on media coverage.
The actor has previously maintained his innocence.
He has said he feared the attack could fuel a racist and anti-gay backlash.
It had been a global trending topic in January after he accused two African-American men of attacking him, dangling an “MAGA” hat.
But, the two brothers, whose attorney said looked “as if they stepped out of a science fiction movie”, were not wearing MAGA hats, a claim that had been questioned, given that Smollett was seen wearing one in footage that surfaced later.