In the two weeks since Empire actor Jussie Smollett was attacked in Chicago, the Internet has been swept up in the reported crime. Many have sent messages of support to Smollett, some have commented on what they perceive as strange and misleading details about the case, and Smollett has remained relatively quiet.
But now, Smollett has given his first interview since the attack. Helmed by ABC’s Robin Roberts, the interview will air on Good Morning America on Thursday morning. The interview will focus on the attack, the ensuing police investigation and the social response to the news.
In an early clip released from the interview, Smollett said he was “pissed off” and spoke about his frustration with those who claim he fabricated the attack to gain fame. “It’s like, you know, at first, it was a thing of, like, ‘Listen, if I tell the truth then that’s it, ’cause it’s the truth,’” he said. “Then it became a thing of like, ‘Oh, how can you doubt that? Like, how do you — how do you not believe that? It’s the truth.’ And then it became a thing of like, ‘Oh, it’s not necessarily that you don’t believe that this is the truth, you don’t even want to see the truth.'”
Recent reports from the Chicago Police Department show that Smollett handed over his official phone records, but that police found the heavily redacted records “insufficient” and asked for more. Smollett’s team issued a statement following the attack, reiterating the actor’s commitment to finding the perpetrators and his “consistent and credible” story.
Watch Jussie Smollet’s full interview with Robin Roberts on Thursday at 8 a.m. ET on ABC’s Good Morning America, and check out an early clip below: