The two men who had been questioned by police earlier this week were arrested Wednesday night.
New developments continue to unfold in the Jussie Smollett case.
The two men who were arrested by Chicago Police earlier this week in regards to the Empire actor's attack have now been released without charges. Anthony Guglielmi, Chief Communications Officer for Chicago Police, took to Twitter on Friday night to share the update.
“Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the Empire case have now been released without charging and detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” the statement reads. The news comes hours after Guglielmi announced there would be no press conference about the case.
Chicago Police confirmed to ET on Friday morning that the two men who have been questioned by police since earlier this week were arrested Wednesday night. A spokesperson for Chicago Police confirmed to ET that it was the same two individuals who were captured on surveillance video around the same time as the attack on the Empire star occurred in the early morning hours of Jan. 29. Police have yet to release the names of these men.
"Interrogations will resume today with the two individuals and their attorney. While we haven't found any video documenting the alleged attack, there is no evidence to say that this is a hoax. The alleged victim [Smollett] is being cooperative at this time and continues to be treated as a victim, not a suspect," Guglielmi told ET earlier in the day. "For clarification, the two individuals interviewed are classified as potential suspects. Detectives have probable cause that they may have been involved in an alleged crime and we are working to corroborate the allegations and investigative timeline as our investigation continues."
On Thursday, police once again questioned Smollett, as well as raided the home of the two aforementioned men.
Rumors began circulating earlier this week, claiming that Smollett orchestrated his own attack in response to allegedly being written off Empire. However, the network and studio released a statement to ET denying Smollett's character was being dropped from the show.
“The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of Empire is patently ridiculous," the joint statement read. "He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”
This all comes after Smollett made his first television appearance since the attack, appearing on Good Morning America to tearfully recount the incident.
For more on the ongoing investigation, as well as Smollett's interview, watch below.
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