Tag: LGBTQ

BREAKING: Jussie Smollett Is Under Arrest, Currently In Police Custody.

Empire star Jussie Smollett is in the custody of Chicago police.

Smollett turned himself in early Thursday and is now under arrest on a Class 4 felony charge for falsifying a police report, according to the Hollywood Reporter. 

“Jussie [Smollett] is under arrest and in custody of detectives,” CPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi announced Thursday morning, adding that a press briefing is expected shortly ahead of Smollett’s court appearance. In a separate statement, CPD deputy director of news affairs Tom Ahern further specified that Smollett was in the custody of detectives.

Wednesday, Smollett was formally classified as a suspect by police and subsequently charged. That development came in the wake of the two brothers who were previously arrested and released in connection with the purported attack. According to their legal reps, brothers Ola and Abel Osundairo testified before a grand jury for more than two hours. CBS Chicago has also published surveillance footage showing the men purchasing ski masks and a red hat.

In their most recent statement, Smollett’s attorneys promised an “aggressive defense” in response to the latest developments. “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked,” the team said Wednesday. “Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”

Initially, Chicago police were pursuing the investigation into what Smollett said happened as a “possible hate crime.” The resulting class 4 felony charges could potentially result in up to three years in prison and an estimated $25,000 additional fines.

Two Nigerians Linked To The Homophobic Attack On Jussie Smollet – Police.

One of the two men investigators have questioned as persons of interest in the alleged attack on actor Jussie Smollett, has also appeared on the show “Empire,” Chicago Police Spokesman, Anthony Guglielmi, reveals.

In a tweet on Thursday, Guglielmi said “the people of interest are alleged to be in the area where a crime was reported. They are not considered suspects at this time.”

The men are Nigerian brothers and were questioned by police after flying into O’Hare airport from Nigeria on Wednesday evening, Guglielmi said. Police said they searched the men’s apartment two nights ago.

Smollett, one of the stars of Empire, told authorities he was attacked early January 29 by two men who yelled “racial and homophobic slurs.”

Smollett alleged that one attacker put a rope around his neck and poured an unknown chemical substance on him before running away. Police previously released surveillance images of two people they said were wanted for questioning.

Porn Star August Ames Dies At 23, Allegedly Commits Suicide After Cyber Bullies Attack Her On Twitter.

August Ames, a rising star in the adult film industry, reportedly died Tuesday in California. She was 23.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed her death.

The outlet reports that her cause of death is currently unknown, but friends suspect it was a suicide, as Ames was prone to depression.

Law enforcement sources said she was pronounced dead at the scene, and there was no indication of foul play.

“She was the kindest person I ever knew and she meant the world to me,” her husband, director Kevin Moore, told industry trade magazine Adult Video News (AVN), which first reported news of her death. “Please leave this as a private family matter in this difficult time.”

Ames was born Mercedes Grabowski in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1994, and worked in a bar and at a tanning salon before joining the adult film industry in 2013, according to AVN.

Throughout her four years in the business, she appeared in more than 270 X-rated films for companies like Evil Angel, Smash Pictures and Lethal Hardcore.

Her popularity had risen steadily since she nabbed a nomination for Best New Starlet at the 2015 AVN Awards; she scored a nomination for Female Performer of the Year in 2016, 2017 and the upcoming 2018 Awards, set for January.

She also had a large social media following, though friends tell The Blast her prominent online presence may have contributed to her death.

Ames’s Twitter feed was littered in recent days with cyberbullies accusing her of being homophobic after she publicly chose not to work with an unidentified actor who had previously shot gay porn.

Shortly after posting the tweet, Ames was forced to defend herself against a flood of online harassers.

A day later, on Dec. 4, she expressed frustration with the criticism.

She defended herself again after a user responded to the tweet urging her to apologize.

Ames was remembered on social media by her fellow porn stars, including Charlie Sheen’s ex-girlfriend Brett Rossi.

“A beautiful life is GONE because people like to use their ‘fan base’ to bully others because THEIR opinion doesn’t agree with YOURS,” she wrote on Twitter. “RIP to a sweet, kind, soul…I’m so sad & so angry. A life wasted simply because HER opinion didn’t mesh with YOURS.”

Added Anikka Albrite, “My heart is broken for my industry sister. People are cruel and depression is a bitch. Please be good to each other. #RIPAugust.”