--- title: Stephen Colbert Has Issues With the Jussie Smollett News description: Stephen Colbert is not taking the news that Empire star Jussie Smollett allegedly staged a fake hate crime attack on himself lightly. canonical: https://time.com/5535495/stephen-colbert-jussie-smollett/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-02-22T15:39:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:57:37.922Z og:title: Stephen Colbert Has Issues With the Jussie Smollett News og:description: Colbert thinks the plan went wrong in a few ways og:url: https://time.com/5535495/stephen-colbert-jussie-smollett/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0b92405be9614db/698945a916d884c8c4c34ad7/screen-shot-2019-02-22-at-10.25.44-am.png?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Stephen-Colbert-Jussie-Smollett og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Stephen Colbert Has Issues With the Jussie Smollett News twitter:description: Colbert thinks the plan went wrong in a few ways twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta0b92405be9614db/698945a916d884c8c4c34ad7/screen-shot-2019-02-22-at-10.25.44-am.png?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Stephen Colbert Has Some Very Specific Issues With the Jussie Smollett News  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Feb 22, 2019 3:39 PM UTC  CBS/The Late Show with Stephen Colbert  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Feb 22, 2019 3:39 PM UTC [Stephen Colbert](http://time.com/5529612/colbert-shutdown-trump/) is not taking the [Jussie Smollett](http://time.com/5533436/prosecutor-recused-jussie-smollett-case/) news lightly. After the _Empire_ star was taken into custody with [felony charge of disorderly conduct](http://time.com/5534025/jussie-smollett-false-police-report/) 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](http://time.com/5534599/jussie-smollett-staged-hate-attack/) that Smollett staged a fake [hate crime attack](http://time.com/5531761/jussie-smollett-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](https://www.apnews.com/656df396b0284006b6ca9c18ca7b3fa2) that Smollett hired [two Nigerian brothers](http://time.com/5531761/jussie-smollett-attack/) 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. 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