CHICAGO'S mayor Rahm Emanuel has slammed the decision to drop charges against Empire star Jussie Smollett as a "whitewash of justice".
Smollett, 36, was arrested on disorderly conduct charges for allegedly staging a "phony" attack and claiming he was the victim of a hate crime to garner sympathetic publicity.
In an unexpected development, all charges have been dropped against the actor by prosecutors — in news that has rocked America.
He claimed two masked men – one wearing a red MAGA-style hat – shouted racist and homophobic slurs as they beat him, put a noose around his neck, and poured bleach on him.
The star claimed they hollered: "This is MAGA country", a reference to Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' campaign slogan.
But now prosecutors, for reasons not yet made public, have decided to drop the case.
Speaking outside court in the wake of the decision to scrap the charges, Mr Emanuel said: “[Smollett] did this all in the name of self-promotion.
“He used the laws of the hate crime legislation that all of us have put on the books – to stand up for the values that embody what we believe in.
hoaxed his "racist" attack to raise his profile insist he is guilty — despite all charges being dropped.
Chicago Police Department Central Commander Ed Wodnicki said the dropping of the charges was a "punch in the gut" and and insists he had a "rock solid case".
Meanwhile Superintendent Eddie Johnson said: "At the end of the day, it is Mr Smollett who committed this hoax, period.
"If he wanted to clear his name, the way to do that is in a court of law so everyone can see the evidence.
"I stand by the facts of what we produced.
Yet the actor's attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes said in a statement that their client's record has now "been wiped clean."
Initial reports of the assault led to a huge backlash against Trump supporters in the US with one headline claiming the attack was “far right America’s endgame”.
That theme was echoed by other news outlets and backed up by dozens of editorial pieces about how racist and homophobic America had become.
A furious President Trump was, not surprisingly, then quick to lay into Smollett after Chicago police arrested him over the fake attack allegations.
When news of the attack first emerged days earlier, Smollett was inundated with support across the political divide.
However, as it emerged that Smollett "knew his attackers" and may have even been involved in the staging of the attack, the celebrities and politicians who rushed to support him went quiet.
This afternoon's news that Smollett is now in the clear has left many Americans baffled - and is reported to have infuriated cops in Chicago.
“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,” said Smollett’s legal team.
"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 judgement."
Smollett’s spokesperson said his record would be “fully expunged” following the decision.
“Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong, " Anne Kavanaugh stated in an email.
The Cook County State's Attorney's office said : "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case"
Smollett was accused of lying to police when he told them two men unleashed a racist and homophobic attack on him in the city.
Each of the 16 counts against him covered various alleged acts that Smollett falsely described to the officers.
Officers at the time said the attack was a publicity stunt because the actor was upset about his pay on the show.
Smollett had denied all the allegations against him and even went on Good Morning America to protest his innocence.