As Twitchy has reported, things have gotten very interesting in the case of the alleged racist and homophobic attack on “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who claimed his attackers put a noose around his neck, doused him in bleach and shouted, “This is MAGA country.”

Police have revealed that they’ve arrested two persons of interest, at least one of whom was an extra on “Empire.” Police also raided the home of those two persons of interest, both of Nigerian descent, and took bleach and more from the home.

Now Rob Elgas of ABC 7 in Chicago is reporting that — gasp! — multiple sources are saying the attack was staged.

Standby for a MAJOR development in the Jussie Smollett case. — Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 14, 2019

BREAKING: Multiple soucres tell @ABC7Chicago Eyewitness News Jussie Smollet and the 2 men who are being questioned by police staged the attack – allegedly because his character was being written out of the show Empire. — Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 15, 2019

MORE: Someone familiar with the investigation says Smollet was a no-show for an interview earlier today with detectives. All of this coming hours after Smollett spoke to @GMA speaking out in his first media interview taking aim at those who doubted his story. — Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 15, 2019

Oh, the “Good Morning America” interview where he said the doubters would have supported him more “if I had said it was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black.”

Yeah, what if he’d said he was attacked by someone black?

And he had the CHUTZPAH to fake cry this week saying people doubt him because “the attackers” were not black/latino. DISGUSTING to play games with the issue of hate. — Yossi Gestetner (@YossiGestetner) February 15, 2019

Well color me surprised and knock me over with a feather. Clearly, he was lying during his interview with Robin Roberts. His body language wreaked lying. I hope they make him pay for ever damn minute of this investigation. Fraud. — ?? Anne From Maine ?️‍? (@AnneFromMaine) February 15, 2019

SHOCKED — Walter (@JogShone) February 15, 2019

I wonder who is going to write the first “it doesn’t matter the attack was fake, it COULD happen in a Trump world, and that’s all that matters” story. — Abradax (@OmegaGatzby) February 15, 2019

It never made sense. How do two racist bigots recognize him from the show? Empire is a dominantly black show, and even has a gay character I believe. Racist white people would never watch that show. — Domingo (@helichrysium09) February 15, 2019

But he said that his attackers gained his attention by saying verbatim “Empire fa***t n***er” — so they knew he was gay and an actor on “Empire.”

CBS Chicago is also reporting that the “attack” appears orchestrated:

TOP SOURCE: “… indicators point to Smollett orchestrating the event ….” @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/t3T5kQmeko — Brad Edwards (@tvbrad) February 15, 2019

And there it is. @ABC7Chicago: Jussie Smollett reportedly staged Chicago attack after being told he was being written off Empire. https://t.co/hjFln4Gk6q — Emily Zanotti (@emzanotti) February 15, 2019

Stay tuned …

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Update:

The Chicago Police Department is claiming that ABC 7’s sources are “uninformed and inaccurate.”

Media reports anout the Empire incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives. Supt Eddie Johnson has contacted @ABC7Chicago to state on the record that we have no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate. pic.twitter.com/iSO5YFv452 — Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) February 15, 2019

Unconfirmed but not denied. We see you here — Kyle Franklin (@frnklns4k) February 15, 2019

Ok, so what do we have here. Smollett not cooperating. No video. Police investigating persons of interest who are African American and Smollet's friends….. Well, I can wait another day…. — Joe Kidd 1992 (@JoeKidd1992) February 15, 2019

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Update:

Fox is denying that Smollett was being written off the show:

NEW: 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment say

"The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of EMPIRE is patently ridiculous. He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.” — Rob Elgas (@RobElgasABC7) February 15, 2019

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