Stephen Colbert is not taking the Jussie Smollett news lightly. After the Empire star was taken into custody with felony charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report, Colbert dedicated part of Thursday’s episode of The Late Show to denouncing Smollett’s actions.
At a Thursday morning press conference, Chicago police said that Smollett staged a fake hate crime attack on himself because he was unhappy about his Empire salary. The case has garnered national interest in the weeks since Smollett first reported the alleged attack to police.
“It’s depressing. It’s a horrible affront to actual victims of hate crimes. And it’s done horribly because it sets back the credibility,” Colbert said. “There’s no good reason to do something like this, but Smollett had a particularly bad one.”
However, as per usual, Colbert also had a few jokes up his sleeve. “Look, I’m no expert. But if you’re going to fake a white supremacist hate crime, hire two white guys,” Colbert quipped referencing the allegation that Smollett hired two Nigerian brothers to carry out the staged attack. “This is one place where you don’t want diversity.”
Smollett turned himself into police early Thursday but was released that afternoon after posting a $100,000 bond set at a hearing earlier in the day.
Watch the full Colbert clip below.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com