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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 4 February 2019

Jussie Smollett strikes emotional chord: Attackers won’t win

“It was amazing, it was lice during their investiga- with songs from “Empire.”
emotional, it was inspiring,” tion, countering comments He often sits at the piano
Davis said. on social media saying he on the show but stood front
“He showed everyone in had changed his story and and center at the micro-
the room he was strong.” been uncooperative with phone at the Troubadour,
Smollett told police the investigators. the legendary Los Angeles
men attacked him as he Chicago police also said club that helped launch
walked home in Chicago Smollett has been cooper- the careers of James Tay-
early Tuesday, throwing ative and they have found lor, the Eagles and Elton
a chemical substance at no reason to think he’s not John. He was joined in ju-
him in addition to shouting being genuine. bilant dance by his fam-
slurs and putting the rope Smollett stars alongside ily members during his en-
around his neck. Terence and Taraji P. Hen- core. Earlier, they had tak-
No arrests have been son in “Empire,” the Fox en the stage and voiced
made, and police have TV show about the power their support before he
not found surveillance vid- struggles of a family in the came on. “To be honest,
eo of the attack, though music business that is now as his big brother, I wanted
they found footage of in its fifth season. him to sit this one out,” Joel
Smollett walking home with The series has allowed Smollett Jr. said.
the rope around his neck. Smollett to play, sing and “But we realized this night
Smollett had made his first occasionally write music in is an important part of
public comments about addition to acting. Jussie’s healing. He’s been
the incident on Friday in a Last year he released a solo a fighter since he was a
written statement that said album, “Sum of My Music, baby. He fought his attack-
In this Aug. 8, 2017 file photo, Jussie Smollett participates in the
“Empire” panel during the FOX Television Critics Association he had been “consistent which made up much of ers that night, and he con-
Summer Press Tour at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif. on every level” with the po- Saturday night’s set, along tinues to fight.”q
Associated Press
By ANDREW DALTON screams and cheers from
Associated Press the packed room of about
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. 400 people.
(AP) — Jussie Smollett was “I will always stand for love.
blunt, emotional and defi- I will only stand for love.”
antly determined Saturday His small band then
night at a Southern Cali- launched into an upbeat
fornia concert some urged song and he broke into
him not to play, telling the dance, wearing a simple
crowd before singing a white buttoned shirt, white
note that he had to go on sneakers and black jeans,
with the show because he shuffling across the front
couldn’t let his attackers of the stage and at times
win. standing defiantly with a
“The most important thing fist in the air.
I can say is ‘thank you so Smollett kept the tone
much, and I’m OK,” said mostly celebratory through
the “Empire” actor and his hour-long set before ad-
R&B singer from the stage dressing the attack head-
at the Troubadour in West on toward the end of his
Hollywood in his first pub- hour-long set, when he told
lic appearance since he the crowd he wanted to
reported to police in Chi- clarify a few things.
cago on Tuesday that He said he was bruised but
two masked men had as- his ribs were not cracked.
saulted him and put a rope He went straight to the
around his neck while using doctor but was not hospi-
homophobic and racial talized, and physicians in
slurs. both Chicago and Los An-
“I’m not fully healed yet,” geles cleared him to play
said Smollett, who is black but told him to be careful.
and openly gay, “but I’m “And above all, I fought
going to be, and I’m gon- the (expletive) back,” he
na stand strong with y’all.” said to cheers.
The concert had been Then he paused and said,
planned long before the emphatically but with a
incident, and his family laugh, “I’m the gay Tu-
members and others had pac.”
urged him to postpone it. Fan Monique Davis said
But Smollett said he after the show that she
couldn’t do that. was shocked he spoke so
“I had to be here tonight, bluntly and directly about
y’all. I couldn’t let those the incident, but she’s glad
(expletives) win,” he said to he did.