Jussie Smollett: LGBTQ Charity Ends Partnership With ‘Empire’ Star Following Indictment

In the wake of Jussie Smollett’s alleged hate-crime hoax, an LGBTQ charity has ended its partnership with the Empire star.

According to The Blast, Oleg Lee—who has more widely become known as “That Pillow Guy” after founding American Pillow Partners—was in talks with Smollett to donate pillows with the actor’s image on them to help raise awareness and funds for various LGTBQ organizations that Smollett has supported.

However, Lee now says that they have decided to go in a different direction, in light of Smollett’s arrest and charge of filing a false police report.

“I am currently looking for a new celebrity face to partner with to raise money for LBGTQ causes. If the allegations are true, I hope Jussie gets the help and support he needs. I was looking forward to working with him,” Lee said in a statement.

In January, Smollett alleged that two men had attacked him and violently assaulted him for being a gay black man. After weeks of investigation, Chicago police charged Smollett with a felony, claiming that they believe he fabricated the event.

Authorities spoke with two men who were persons of interest in the crime (brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo), but the two have since claimed that Smollett paid them to be involved with the attack, which they allege he orchestrated.

Following his bail hearing and subsequent release from custody, Smollett’s legal team issued a statement on the case, asserting that the star denies the accusations against him.

“Mr. Smollet is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence and feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing,” the statement read.

“Today we witnessed an organized law enforcement spectacle that has no place in the American legal system. The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election,” the statement continued.

Smollett has since been released from Empire for the remainder of the season, but there is no word on if he is officially fired. If convicted, the actor could potentially be looking at up to three years behind bars.