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State's Attorney Kim Foxx Calls Jussie Smollett A 'Washed Up Celeb Who Lied To Cops'

WBLS Staff
04/19/2019 12:00 AM EDT

Photo credit: Scott Olson / Getty Images

It seems like the Jussie Smollett case just gets more intense. It was reported that Chicago’s Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx referred to “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett as a “washed up celeb who lied to cops.” Text messages from Foxx were released on Tuesday by her office, in response to a “public-records request by the Chicago Tribune.”

These surfacing text messages were a conversation between her and her top assistant, Joseph Magats. “Sooo……I’m recused, but when people accuse us of overcharging cases…16 counts on a class 4 (felony) becomes exhibit A,” she texted. She also compared the Jussie Smollett case to R. Kelly’s. “Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16 (counts). Just because we can charge something doesn’t mean we should.”

In a statement, Foxx defended her text messages. “After the indictment became public, I reached out to Joe to discuss reviewing office policies to assure consistencies in our charging and our use of appropriate charging authority,” Foxx said in a statement obtained by USA Today. “I was elected to bring criminal justice reform and that includes intentionality, consistency, and discretion. I will continue to uphold these guiding principles.”