The friends, co-workers, and lovers of Jussie Smollett have reacted differently to the alleged hoax he concocted. But rest assured, a small minority seem willing to turn a blind eye to the devious actions he stands accused of committing.
For starters, many of his castmates on Empire, who wished to remain anonymous, want Jussie Smollett fired with immediate effect, regardless of the fact, they as a cast, remain entrenched in the filming process for the 5th Season's final episode. Smollett earns about $100,000 per episode, totaling $1.8 million as the base salary over a full season.
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On the other hand, fellow cast members like Gabby Sidibe are unsure what to believe at this juncture, even though her actions on Instagram say otherwise. Sidibe was quick to align herself with her troubled co-star when the kidnapping story was first being reported but has since deleted all her social media support in one swift move.
To make matters worse, even Smollett's lifelong friends are unsure where they stand, as they struggle with revisionary thoughts. Ralph Louis Harris for one, is a name associated with Smollett's career beginnings, owing to time they spent "growing up" on the set of an ABC sitcom called On Our Own.
Harris fondly remembers Smollett as a "strapping young lad," and is finding it rather difficult to view him as a potential felon. "I know Jussie to be a hard-working lover of the arts kid. I can’t imagine what would cause him to do this, if he did it,” said Harris, in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. As you can imagine, the ambivalence coming from Smollett's once-dependable support system pales in comparison to the manner in which he's being roasted online. At this point, only the truth can set him free.
