Seven hours after "attack" Smollett had noose around his neck

The key takeaway from the yesterday's release of hundreds Chicago Police files on the case of hate crime hoaxter Jussie Smollett is that seven hours after the, ahem, attack,' the now-former Empire star is wearing that noose around his neck.

It was part of Smollett's performance.

From the BBC:

The ex-Empire actor says he was punched in the face, had an "unknown chemical substance" poured on him and a rope wrapped around his neck in a racist and homophobic attack in January.

But Chicago Police say he staged the whole thing.

They've released footage from the night where Smollett appears to have the rope still around his neck.

The footage shows two police officers going to Smollett's apartment building in Chicago at around 8:43 in the morning - almost seven hours after the alleged attack.