Empire: Discussion Thread

[Faulkner]

 

 

[xtr]

 

I actually believe Fox's statement. I don't think they had any intentions of getting rid of Jussie. A character is supposed to be killed off of Empire this season, but I never thought it was going to be Jussie. Especially since his character already had a death scare storyline a couple of seasons ago.

 

 

I think that the two men allegedly saying "This is MAGA country" in Chicago was another thing that kind of raised some eyebrows. But it's understandable that a lot of us chose to believe Jussie. There are a lot of bad people out there that are capable of doing the things he may have lied about. It made sense that lot of people erred on the side of caution and initially gave him the benefit of the doubt.

 

If these new reports are true, this really is unfortunate. I'm not sure why he would do this. It would make more sense if he was genuinely attacked but lied about who his attackers were because he was scared of his real attackers coming after him again and doing worse to him. That wouldn't have excused his possible lying, but at least it would have made more sense, than him staging this attack on himself. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by xtr

[Juliajms]

^ Yeah, I believe Fox too, but that makes it all the more befuddling as to Jussie's motive.  Was his manager in on this?  The hubris of thinking you can outsmart Chicago PD amazes me.  Sure, many of us don't trust the police right now, but that does not mean that detectives in a city like Chicago are easily fooled.

 

And like RG this will not stop me from believing the next victim. It's a lot like women who make a false rape report. It does hurt all women when that happens, but the vast majority of victims are telling the truth.

 

People who have posted with me a long time know that I tend to consider mental health as a defense for people quite often. I do think that might be an issue here, but if it was actually planned with his manager, I don't know.  At the very least he knew what he was doing was wrong and had a plan to falsely accuse.  I'm really stunned that someone in his position would do this, but maybe there is more to the story.

Edited February 17, 2019 by Juliajms

[Taoboi]

WOW.

 

Because life isn't hard for a gay black man already...

[Vee]

Before the last three years I would have found his original story wildly farfetched and laughable. Today, sadly nothing is impossible or even improbable. I thought it was outlandish, yet we live in outlandish times where we're shocked every day by some new American horror.

 

He can never and should never work again. It's just unthinkable, the damage he's done to generations of black, queer and disadvantaged people across the country who are in very real danger everyday. The right wing will be dining on this case for the next 25 years.

 

[Faulkner]

They’ve been dining out on Tawana Brawley for 32 years.

[Khan]

 

Agree.  From now on, more gays and POC will believe that reporting their assaults will serve no purpose other than to have the law enforcement and local communities view them with great suspicion and skepticism.  In turn, less hate crimes will be reported, less perpetrators of hate crimes will be apprehended and even more lowlifes will feel empowered to target marginalized people at will.

 

It'll be a freaking miracle if this doesn't send the LGBTQ community back into the proverbial closet.

[Vee]

 

I was making a conservative estimate. This is bigger.

 

I have zero patience for his 'mental health' right now tbh. This is a rich celebrity on a global stage who just fundamentally compromised the safety and civil rights of a nation of minorities. He can just disappear AFAIC.

Edited February 17, 2019 by Vee

[Faulkner]

Just stating to your point the legs these stories can have.

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Talking about someone's possible state of mind doesn't preclude there being harsh consequences for the huge amount of damage done.  The two thoughts can exist in the same space.

[Vee]

I know they can. They just can't for me right now.

[Khan]

 

IOW, the man has never watched an episode of "C.S.I." in his life.

[Vee]

That is a mental health note, I guess: How delusional do you have to be to be a major celebrity in 2019 and think you can get away with this?? That's why it was believable - who (particularly a very visible public figure) would be stupid enough to think they could pull this and not get caught? Cameras, social media, GPS, cell towers, phone and bank records, forensics...

Edited February 17, 2019 by Vee

[Faulkner]

Response from Jussie’s lawyers:

 

 

Edited February 17, 2019 by Faulkner
Edited to get full statement in one tweet

[Khan]

nm

Edited February 17, 2019 by Khan