Empire starJussie Smollett has been arrested after he was charged with lying to police, when he claimed he was attacked by two masked men shouting racist and homophobic slurs, Chicago police announced on Twitter.
Smollett, a 36-year-old black, openly gay actor on the TV drama Empire, ignited a firestorm on social media by telling police on 29 January that two apparent supporters of US President Donald Trump had struck him, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him.
Smollett is under arrest, Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Chicago Police Department said, adding he was charged with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report.