'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett indicted on 16 felony counts, according to reports

'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett now faces a maximum of 48 years behind bars if convicted. Photo / AP

A Cook County, Illinois, grand jury has indicted "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett on 16 felony counts for allegedly lying about a hate-crime attack, according to multiple reports.

The indictment, returned Thursday, comes two weeks after prosecutors charged Smollett with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

Smollett, who is black and openly gay, told Chicago police in late January that he had been attacked by two people who yelled racial and homophobic slurs, hit him, poured a chemical substance on him and wrapped a rope around his neck, reports The Washington Post.

He also said that at least one of the attackers had yelled, "This is MAGA country," referring to President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan. The incident attracted a great deal of attention, as celebrities and advocacy organisations expressed their support on social media, and Smollett said on "Good Morning America" in mid-February that he was "forever changed" by the incident.

But skepticism about Smollett's account grew as police continued to investigate, questioning two "persons of interest" who turned out to be brothers of Nigerian descent who had previously worked on Fox's "Empire."

A grand jury hit actor and singer Jussie Smollett with 15 additional felony charges. Photo / AP

Within days of the "Good Morning America" interview, police announced that the trajectory of the criminal investigation had shifted, and that Smollett was being treated as a suspect.

Smollett was arrested Feb. 21, and at a court hearing that same day, prosecutors alleged he had paid the two men, Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, to help him stage the attack.

They said Abel Osundairo and Smollett were close when they worked together on the set of "Empire," where Abel was a stand-in for a love interest of Smollett's character, Jamal Lyon, and Ola was an extra.

Prosecutors also alleged that Smollett told the brothers what to say and provided them with a $100 bill to cover supplies, including rope, ski masks and red hats that resemble the MAGA sort.

Chicago police said at a Feb. 21 media briefing that Smollett faked the attack because he was "dissatisfied with his salary" on the Fox drama. Executive producers said in a statement issued the next day that Smollett's character would be removed from the current season's final two episodes.

Smollett was released on $100,000 bail, and his attorneys have previously denied that he played a role in the attack. His attorneys and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office have not returned The Washington Post's requests for comment on the 16-count indictment.