All Criminal Charges Dropped Against Jussie Smollett

After an emergency court hearing this morning, all criminal charges against “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, 36, have been dropped.

Less than two weeks after Smollett pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of disorderly conduct and allegedly lying to police about a hate crime, the Cook County judge has officially sealed the case and will forfeit the $10,000 bail Smollett had paid when posting bail.

“Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him,” according to spokeswoman Anne Kavanaugh. “Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public, causing an inappropriate rush to judgment.”

In a press conference following the emergency hearing, Smollett continued to maintain his innocence. “I have been truthful and consistent on every level since day one. I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I’ve been accused of. “

It is unclear the fate of Smollett’s character, Jamal, on the FOX series, “Empire” as producers removed his character on the final two episodes of the season in order to “avoid further disruption on set,” according to the show’s producers.

However, the Empire writers had this to say on Twitter: