Jussie Smollett is bailing on attending a hearing which would determine if a special prosecutor would be appointed to his case, which is aimed at exploring the dismissal of the charges that were filed against the Empire actor for allegedly staging an anti-gay and racist attack in January.
According to The Associated Press, the 36 year-old’s publicist Hillary Rosen confirmed his absence in the hearing. Smollett’s lawyers have already filed a motion against a special prosecutor being assigned to the case. In the same motions, his attorneys claimed he moved to California from Chicago over concerns for his safety.
They allege that the Chicago Police Department released a slew of files to the media, which state his address in the Streeterville neighborhood in Cook County. “To ensure his safety and security, Mr. Smollett immediately moved out of his apartment in Chicago. As of March 27, 2019, Mr. Smollett has returned to California and he does not maintain a residence in Chicago,” the motion states, The Chicago Sun Times reports. The document also states that if he were to return to Chicago, he would need additional security.
In spite of the legal issues this case has spurred, it reportedly won’t affect Smollett as much because the 16 initial charges against him are already dropped, The Root reports.