'The Daily Show' Correspondent Talks Jussie Smollett Attack - Hollywood Reporter

Jaboukie Young-White began vying to play the 'Empire' actor on a Lifetime movie: "You couldn't have written a crazier plot."

Following reports that Chicago police are investigating to see if Jussie Smollett helped stage his own alleged assault in January, Daily Show culture correspondent Jaboukie Young-White said he was "disappointed" in the Empire actor.

After Noah noted that police seized several items involved in the attack from the home of two former suspects, one of whom was Smollett's trainer on a music video, and that policemen are now investigating whether Smollett was involved, Young-White told the audience, "I'm not surprised but I'm disappointed."

He added, "This story has been weird for me, Trevor. As a gay person, I'm used to speaking on gay issues. As a black person, I'm used to speaking on black issues. But I'm not used to them intersecting, except for when someone's like, 'As a gay black person, do you think I could pull off these shoes?'"

He joked that he belonged to a third community "devastated" by the turn in reports on the attack: the actor community. He added that he looks like Smollett, which Noah pushed back against. "To white people I do," Young-White said. "And hopefully, to anyone who's casting the Jussie Smollett Lifetime movie."

Young-White added that the plot to the alleged attack was Lifetime-like, given that it hinged on Trump supporters who watch Empire and a death threat made out of magazine clippings. "That's so dated, you know? Everyone knows if you're sending a death threat, you send that shit on Twitter," Young-White joked.

On Tuesday, Chicago police confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that they were investigating a tip that Smollett had been seen with the two former suspects hours before the alleged assault. Later that day Chicago PD chief communications officer Anthony Guglielmi said the tip was "unfounded," tweeting: "CPD has confirmed that a tip this morning about a sighting at the residential towers of individuals involved in this alleged incident is unfounded as it was not supported by video evidence obtained by detectives."

Watch the full segment below.