On January 29th the star of Fox’s Empire Jussie Smollett was attacked in Chicago in what is being investigated as a hate crime. The attack was violent, laden with racist and homophobic slurs, and he had a liquid poured on him and a noose put around his neck. (CBS) reported that police could smell bleach on his clothes. Smollett and his manager were on the phone at the time of the attack, and his manager is also noted as having heard one of the attackers say ‘MAGA Country’, a reference to Donald Trump’s campaign slogan ‘Make America Great Again ‘. Donald Trump told the media (The Warp) that it was horrible and it has been condemned by many politicians and entertainment figures (Vanity Fair on Ellen Page). The Chicago Police released images of persons of interest from Smollet’s attack which were pulled from CCTV and have told reporters that they are making gains (Chicago Tribune). Smollett at a show in LA (CNN) on 2nd of February told his fans that he was okay, but not fully healed. His meet at greet at the show had been cancelled. Smollett told the crowd he had fought back (Washington Post), and at the end of the show told the crowd that now is the time to be gayer and blacker.