'SNL': Jussie Smollett's Alleged Hate Crime Parodied in 'Empire' Meeting Sketch

Saturday Night Live parodied the Jussie Smollett case this weekend, with Chris Redd playing the [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Saturday Night Live parodied the Jussie Smollett case this weekend, with Chris Redd playing the former Empire actor desperate to get back on the show.

jussie smollett snl sketch nbc
(Photo: NBC)

In the sketch, guest host Sandra Oh played Smollett's manager, who pleaded with Empire producer Lee Daniels and other executives to let Smollett back on the show. The producers would hear none of it, since Smollett was already two hours late to the meeting.

Eventually, Smollett came in with a bruised face, a "Make America Great Again" hat and a bag of evidence. Smollett claimed he got attacked again and showed off a bunch of clues left behind by the "killer."

"What killer?" Kate McKinnon's executive asked.

"You're still alive, Jussie," Mickey Day's executive reminded him.

"Only because I fought back because I'm the gay Mike Tyson," Smollett said.

The evidence included Crest White Strips, three K's, a receipt, car keys and the "gay" Teletubby.

When Smollett insisted he was really attacked, McKinnon suggested they call the police. But Smollett said he cannot do that he can never call again as part of the deal.

Daniels, played by Kenan Thompson, told Smollett they had to fire him.

"You can't fire me! I made this show," Smollett protested. "I am the gay Lee Daniels!"

"Jussie, I am the gay Lee Daniels," Daniels said.

Oh's manager then fired Smollett, who then left the office. He later came back, this time wearing a neck brace and sunglasses. The producers yelled at him to just go home as the sketch ended.

In January, Smollett claimed he was the victim of a hate crime. However, Chicago police accused him of staging the alleged attack and he faced 16 felony counts. On Tuesday, the state's attorney's office shockingly dropped all the charges and dismissed the case after he completed community service.

The decision was controversial, with even First Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Joseph Magats telling reporters he does not believe Smollett is innocent. The Chicago Corporation Counsel also released a letter demanding the actor pay back more than $130,000 for the investigation into his alleged attack.

"Over two dozen detectives and police officers participated in the investigation, ultimately spending weeks investigating your false claims," the letter reads. "The Chicago police investigation revealed that you knowingly filed a false police report and had in fact orchestrated your own attack."

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called it a "whitewash of justice," and said the decision to drop the charges was "politically motivated."

Smollett played Jamal Lyon on Empire. The character was written out of the final episodes of the current season, and his return for the next season is uncertain.

Photo credit: NBC

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