Jussie Smollett will struggle to revive his career, a public relations expert claims.
The Empire star broke his silence on the ‘worst time of his life’ after all charges against him for filing a false police report were dropped.
His record has also been wiped clean, and TMZ are reporting he will surrender a $10,000 (£7,500) bond; a bond of $100,000 (£75,000) was set in February.
While his future on Empire is still unknown, crisis management mogul Ronn Torossian believes he won’t be returning to the show.
Torossian, CEO of 5W Public Relations whose clients have included Snoop Dogg and Nick Cannon, says Smollett’s future lies on a ‘third rate reality show’.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘I think it’s a lot like OJ Simpson. Even if you’re found innocent in the court of law you’re still guilty in the court of public opinion.
‘I think the reality is that this whole thing is just a joke. I think it’s not something that can be taken seriously. I think the whole thing is essentially just a lot of noise and who needs this headache?
‘Maybe this guy will appear on some third rate reality show. But I think that Jussie Smollett’s career in Hollywood is essentially over.’
He went on: ‘What I would say to a client who was thinking of hiring him for something is, “What do you need this clown show for? What do you need this sideshow for?”.
‘If a client of mine wanted to hire him – this is not some mega star that’s gonna bring in more of an audience, it’s just a sideshow.’
Torossian added that he would be ‘surprised’ if Jussie returned to Empire as his character Jamal has been written out of the last two episodes of season five.
He said: ‘If I was advising Empire I would tell them not to welcome him back. The reality is who needs this headache?
‘What does he bring besides a lot of noise? I don’t know what that contributes. If I was advising them I would tell them not to take him back.
‘I don’t think in the court of public opinion there has been anything which involves racial, sexual, political allegations like this. I think it’s really something different.
‘I think he’s gonna come out and make a lot of noise but I think there’s still a lot of questions. Even if he says he’s innocent there’s still a lot of weird questions.
‘I’m sure he’s gonna do interviews, I’m sure he’s gonna need to speak out. But I simply don’t see how he can make a return. I don’t see who’s gonna want him. I’m sure he’s gonna do some interviews I’m sure we will hear from him again, but I think that the height of his career is over.’
Torossian claims charges against Smollett may have been dropped because ‘the court system might not have wanted the headache of dealing with relatively minor’ allegations.
‘This isn’t a murder, he didn’t kill anybody,’ he said.
‘He made a lot of people angry but maybe he wasn’t found innocent, maybe they couldn’t find him to be guilty.
‘As long as he is around he is going to be thought of as a running joke and I can’t think of anybody who would want to deal with that headache professionally.’
Smollett had been charged with a 16 count indictment for filing a false police report. All charges have been dropped and his record has been wiped clean.
After leaving the courthouse on Tuesday, Jussie said in a statement:‘I want you to know that not for a moment was it in vain I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one, I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I have been accused of.
‘This has been an incredibly difficult time. Honestly, one of the worst of my entire life.
‘But I am a man of faith, and I am a man that has knowledge of my history and I would not bring my family, our lives or the movement through a fire like this.’
Jussie was attacked by two masked men in Chicago, with reports stating his attackers had ‘beaten him up, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him’.
The actor received treatment following the attack and had reported the incident to Chicago Police, with the authorities treating it as a ‘hate crime’ after his attackers allegedly hurled racist and homophobic slurs at Jussie throughout.
After the two men arrested over the attack were released, Jussie was arrested and faced a charge of disorderly conduct.
The Chicago Police Department alleged that Smollett staged the attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary on Empire, and claimed that he also falsified a racist letter which was sent to him prior to the attack.
A spokesperson said at the time: ‘This morning I come to you as a black man who spent his entire life living in the city of Chicago. I know the racial divide and how hard it’s been for our city.
‘Jussie took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career. I’m left hanging my head and asking why. Why would anyone use the symbol of a noose to make false accusations? How could anyone look at the pain and symbol of that symbol and use it to further his own empire? He turned around and slapped everyone in the face with these false claims. Bogus police reports do real harm to victims who need support.
‘He sent a false letter that used racial, homophobic and political language. He paid $3,500 to stage this attack and drag Chicago’s reputation through the mud. Smollett was dissatisfied by his Empire salary so he concocted a story about being attacked.
‘Chicago hosts one of the largest Pride parades in the world and we’re proud of that. ‘We do not support hate in the city. I’m offended by what’s happened and I’m also angry. This publicity stunt was a scar that Chicago didn’t earn or deserve.’
Following Jussie’s arrest, his character Jamal Lyon was pulled from the last two episodes of Empire season five.
Empire creator Lee Daniels said himself and the cast had felt ‘pain and anger’ amidst Jussie’s arrest.
However, a week ago, Taraji P Henson, who plays Jamal’s mother Cookie, said the cast were ‘staying strong’ in light of the investigation, telling Extra: ‘You have to stay strong, stay positive, full of hope.’
On Tuesday Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel responded to the decision to drop the charges, calling it a ‘whitewash of justice’.
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