The Jussie Smollett case is sealed and wiped from the record. Like it never happened. The about-face regarding the prosecution of the “Empire” TV star has stunned everyone, including the Chicago PD. Smollett pays no fines. It just all goes away.
What happened? For one thing, “Empire” means a lot to Chicago’s finances. In a city known for murder, “Empire” is a bright spot. It’s also one of 13 TV shows shooting in the Windy City. They included, in 2018:
- Easy
- South Side
- The Chi
- Shameless
- Lovecraft
- Chicago Fire
- Chicago PD
- Chicago Med
- Empire
- Red Line
- Proven Innocent
- Gotham
- Second City
What if they all left? What if their actors and crews found Chicago to be inhospitable? Now, everyone can go back to work. No questions asked. It’s Chinatown, Jake.
