Smollett's attorneys, Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, have denied the reports that Smollett orchestrated the attack, which he says involved the attackers putting a noose around his neck, chanting Trump slogans, pouring bleach on him, and using racist and homophobic slurs.
Trump Jr. also said the initial reports that the alleged attackers were Trump supporters were left out in this latest development. A scan of the article shows that it does include references to "MAGA" and Trump.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham tweeted that she believed the story was fake all alongand echoed some of Trump Jr.'s thoughts regarding the media's reporting of the investigation.
Some left-leaning personalities have also criticized Smollett, saying that if the CNN report is true, it would hurt the perception of real hate crimes.
CNN correspondent Victor Blackwell expressed concern that if the alleged attack was actually orchestrated, it could harm the victims of real hate crimes.
Attorney Michael Avenatti initially Tweeted a message of support for Smollett once the story broke, but now believes he and many others "owe apologies related to this bogus fiasco."
The investigation is still ongoing, as Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed on Twitter that the two men who were initially suspects were released on Friday without charge and that there is "additional investigative work to complete."
Here is the full text of Smollett's attorney's statement:
"As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying. "One of these purported suspects was Jussie's personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video. It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie's complicity."