Jussie Smollett: City of Chicago release 911 calls reporting actor's alleged attack

Man can be heard telling operators an 'artist' he doesn't want to name has been attacked

The city of Chicago has released two 911 calls made after Jussie Smollett claimed he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack.

Recordings of the emergency calls following the alleged 29 January incident were released on Wednesday evening and obtained by The Independent.

Both calls were made by an unidentified man who said he worked for “an artist” he did not want to name.

During the first call, the man said the person went to a Subway restaurant and “some guys ... somebody jumped him or something like that”.

The caller said the person was initially reluctant to make the report but expressed confidence that he would speak to police.

In the first call, the man told the 911 operator: “They put a noose around his neck”, which echoes Smollett’s initial report to authorities.

The man expressed concern about a perceived delay in the police response during the second call.

Smollett was charged in February this year with allegedly lying to the police about the reported attack.

Prosecutors dropped all charges around him on 26 March, in a decision that was publicly criticised by Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and then-mayor Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Smollett, who has played musician Jamal Lyon on Empire for five seasons, has maintained his innocence.

Empire creator Lee Daniels announced earlier this week that Smollett would not return for the show’s sixth and final season.

Additional reporting by agencies