Jussie Smollett Grants First Interview Since Homophobic Attack

Jussie Smollett has given his first interview since being violently attacked by two men who allegedly shouted racial and homophobic slurs while attacking him.

Speaking with Robin Roberts in an interview that aired Thursday morning via Good Morning America, the Empire star and Sum of My Music artist expressed hurt in light of the online accusations from some that he’s exaggerating the details of the attack, which is now being investigated as a suspected hate crime.

“It’s not necessarily that you don’t believe that this is the truth, you don’t even want to see the truth,” Smollett said in a message to his detractors, pointing out that many of them would sadly have more likely believed his story if the perpetrators had been “Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black.”

Smollett pointed out that the attackers’ shouting “This is MAGA country,” has been a specific point of contention for his detractors. “I didn’t need to add anything like that,” he said to anyone questioning that aspect of the account. “They called me a f*****, they called me a n*****. There’s no which way you cut it. I don’t need some MAGA hat as the cherry on top of some racist sundae.”

Ultimately, Smollett is “pissed off” about both the attack itself and the way some have continued to doubt his truth.