(CNN) —
In a shocking reversal, Chicago prosecutors on Tuesday dropped all charges against actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused last month of staging a hate crime against himself and filing a false police report about it.
From the beginning the case sparked both outrage and doubt over the 36-year-old “Empire” actor’s claim that he was attacked by two people shouting racial and anti-gay slurs.
Smollett told reporters Tuesday that he had been “truthful and consistent on every single level since Day One.” His attorneys insisted he was indeed attacked and that misinformation led to a rush to judgment against him.
01:16 - Source: CNN
Jussie Smollett: I've been truthful since day one
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Actor Jussie Smollett(C) and team arrive for a court hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on March 12, 2019 in Chicago. - A Chicago grand jury on March 8, 2019 indicted American actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts after allegedly lying to police about being the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime. Police say Smollett -- who gained fame on Fox musical drama "Empire" -- staged the attack in a bid to gain publicity and a bigger paycheck. (Photo by DEREK HENKLE / AFP) (Photo credit should read DEREK HENKLE/AFP/Getty Images)
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Charges against Jussie Smollett dropped, attorneys say
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"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County jail following his release, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, in Chicago. Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct and filling a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, a police official said. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
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Actor Jussie Smollett(C) and team arrive for a court hearing at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on March 12, 2019 in Chicago. - A Chicago grand jury on March 8, 2019 indicted American actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts after allegedly lying to police about being the victim of a racist, homophobic hate crime. Police say Smollett -- who gained fame on Fox musical drama "Empire" -- staged the attack in a bid to gain publicity and a bigger paycheck. (Photo by DEREK HENKLE / AFP) (Photo credit should read DEREK HENKLE/AFP/Getty Images)
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PHOTO:
Kamil Krzaczynski/AP
"Empire" actor Jussie Smollett leaves Cook County jail following his release, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, in Chicago. Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct and filling a false police report when he said he was attacked in downtown Chicago by two men who hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and looped a rope around his neck, a police official said. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
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But Mayor Rahm Emanuel blasted the prosecutor’s decision as a “whitewash of justice,” and Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson accused Smollett of hiding behind a deal “brokered … in secrecy.”
The day’s developments have left more questions than answers. Here are some of them:
How did this happen?
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