Kevin Hart is on the defense again after a chilly response on social media to his expression of support for “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, who was hospitalized this week after an apparent hate crime attack in Chicago. Smollett was approached early Tuesday by two masked men who shouted “racial and homophobic slurs” before punching him in the face, pouring an unknown chemical on him and wrapping a rope around his neck, police said. The actor, who is gay, reportedly told investigators his attackers cited President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan during the assault. The crime prompted an outpouring of support from Smollett’s “Empire” co-stars, as well as other celebrities like John Legend, Margaret Cho and Billy Eichner. Hart sympathized late Tuesday on Twitter and Instagram, urging Smollett to “stand strong brother.”

Source: Huffington Post January 31, 2019 16:07 UTC