Jussie Smollett Timeline: From Alleged Assault to Arrest, Everything to Know About 'Empire' Star's Scandal

Actor and singer Jussie Smollett turned himself in to Chicago police after being accused of falsifying a police report, for which he faces a Class 4 felony charge, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed on Twitter that the Empire actor was in detectives' custody on Thursday morning. Smollett was expected to go before a judge during a bond hearing in Chicago's Cook County criminal court on Thursday afternoon.

If convicted on the Class 4 felony charge, Smollett could face a sentence of one to three years in prison along with a fine up to $25,000. The charge stems from the 36-year-old telling police he was assaulted by two men in Chicago last month.

Smollett's legal team released a statement following his arrest on Thursday, which said: "Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense."

Below is a complete timeline of the events surrounding Smollett's arrest.

January 29

Smollett told police officers he was attacked by two unknown men wearing masks and red caps. The actor alleged the men hit him with their fists while shouting racial and homophobic slurs. He also claimed that a rope was wrapped around his neck and that the men poured an unknown chemical substance on him. During his interview with police, Smollett claimed to have received a threatening letter signed "MAGA" eight days before the attack. Media coverage of the attack, which was initially investigated as a hate crime, resulted in public outrage.

January 30

Photographs of two men, described as "people of interest" in the attack, were released by Chicago police. But the image depicted only two men walking down a street in Chicago.

February 14

Smollett appeared on Good Morning America in an interview with Robin Roberts, where he detailed the attack and expressed his frustration over people suggesting it was a hoax. "I could only go off their words. I mean, who says 'Faggot Empire n***er,' 'This is MAGA country, n***er,' ties a noose around your neck and pours bleach on you? And this is just a friendly fight?" he said.

He went on: "It's unbelievable to me that any of this has come to this. That every single thing that I have done, every single thing that I have cooperated with, somehow has gotten twisted into being some bull that it's not."

February 14

Chicago police identified two persons of interests, Nigerian brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, in connection to the crime but said they were not considering the individuals as suspects, despite taking the men into custody for questioning.

February 15

Following interrogation, authorities announced the release of the brothers. Authorities said they received new evidence on the altercation as a result of their questioning, which essentially changed the direction of the investigation. A CBS report, citing sources within the police department, said Smollett paid the men, who were extras on the Fox show Empire, $3,500 to help orchestrate the attack, resulting in the release of the men. However, authorities did not confirm or deny the rumors but said there were "some developments in this investigation," which led detectives to interview Smollett a second time.

February 20

Smollett was officially classified as a suspect in his alleged assault. A Cook County judge approved felony criminal charges against the actor—disorderly conduct and filing a false police report—while investigators requested his surrender for arrest.