Hollywood Outraged Over 'Horrific' Attack on Jussie Smollett

Many celebrities are outraged after "Empire" star Jussie Smollett was reportedly attacked in a hate crime in Chicago on Monday.

According to TMZ, the actor was beat up by two men around 2 a.m. when he went to get some food at Subway. When he left the restaurant, the assailants reportedly yelled, "Aren't you that f---ot 'Empire' n----?"

The males, who are both said to have been white and wearing ski masks, attacked Smollett, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured bleach on him. The attack was so brutal that Smollett is said to have fractured a rib. The men reportedly yelled "This is MAGA country" as they left the scene. Smollett is believed to have been treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and discharged Tuesday morning.

ThatGrapeJuice.Net also reported that a letter was sent to Fox Studios in Chicago, where "Empire" is currently filming its fifth season. The letter features cut out letters that read, "You will die black f--."

The disturbing incident soon went viral on Twitter Tuesday morning and people began to react to the horrifying news. This post will continue to be updated as more messages come in.

Jussie's "Empire" costar Terrence Howard spoke about the incident on "GMA" Wednesday. "I heard he's getting better. You know, he's angry. But I know Jussie. Jussie's anger will dissipate and he will forgive these people for what they did," he said. "But he won't, and we cannot, forget their actions."

"They have to be forgiven because it was done out of ignorance," he continued. "Jussie's the one that starts singing when everybody's in a bad mood. He's the one that cheers everybody up. He's the one that does all the Instagrams if he catches you sleeping. Today, no one was caught sleeping. No one even took time to close their eyes and nap. They were all in shock that our family, you know, the Fox family, the 'Empire' family, the Lyon family, were attacked by a bunch of hyenas today."

Taraji P. Henson also posted on Instagram, writing, "I wish what happened to my baby was just one big bad joke but it wasn't and we all feel his pain right now. @jussiesmollett is pure love to the bone AND THAT IS WHY SO MANY ARE FEELING HIS PAIN BECAUSE IT IS OUR PAIN!!! I tell you one thing HATE WILL NOT WIN!!!!"

"My baby is resilient and love still lives in him. The devil and his minions are very busy right now but one thing is for sure and two things are for certain #GODIS and that is all I know," she continued. "TThe love so many have him just goes to show HE IS LOVE!!!! No matter how the press tries to spin the shit. I LOVE YOU MY BABY MY BABY!!! #LOVEWINSALWAYS. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💋💋💋"

Zachary Quinto revealed he saw Jussie hours before the attack, for a reading on "Take Me Out," a play about a baseball player who comes out as gay. "When it was over I was pondering the impact of this play which was written seventeen years ago and there was a part of me that actually wondered if it was still as relevant in the current sociopolitical climate considering 'how far we've come,'" wrote Quinto. "And then I read about what happened to Jussie last night in Chicago - less than twelve hours after we finished the reading - and I was utterly floored on so many levels. I was absolutely enraged by the injustice and the senselessness of such violence, but I was also vividly reminded that we MUST continue our fight for equality and acceptance at every turn in this country and in this world. When talented and courageous young men like Jussie are targeted and struck down in our streets - we must collectively RISE UP against such hatred and be IDENTIFIED and be PROUD and be STRONG in our convictions of truth and self-love and love for one another."

Kevin Hart, who was recently the subject of controversy over homophobic jokes, sent his "prayers" to Jussie as well. "This is unbelievably sad. Why are we going backwards....this is disgusting," he wrote. "We as people have to do better. WTF is going on the world???? Why are we falling in love with hate???? God damn it people....Choose love...I repeat...Choose love. I will forever choose love and I will continue to teach my kids how to do the same. Stand strong brother."

On Wednesday, "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman tweeted, "Praying for you, brother. @ Jussie Smollett your light is so much stronger than their hate."

"Star Trek" icon George Takei was among those who responded to the news, writing: "This is horrific. What kind of country do we live in?"

"Empire" EP Danny Strong was "deeply horrified and saddened by the racist and homophobic attacks" and showed support for Smollett on Twitter as well.

"Black-ish" star Yara Shahidi took to Instagram and posted a photo of Smollett along with the caption: "You can never dim someone who is the manifestation of light. Sending love to the brilliant human/ artists/ and humanitarian @jussiesmollett ❤️I'm at a loss for words, but one thing I know for certain is an act of hate against you, is an act of hate against all of us. We will continue to stand with you ❤️."

Actress and LGBTQ activist Lena Waithe tweeted that her "heart is broken" over the news and "Scandal" star Kerry Washington wrote, "DEAR GOD! Prayers and justice for Jussie Smollett."

"The Talk" hosts reacted to the news on their show Tuesday afternoon. "This is so sad," Eve said. "It's crazy because to me this is domestic terrorism... We're terrorizing our own people with this hatred. This is ridiculous...it's so sad it makes you sick."

"You know and it's just such a wake-up call," co-host Sara Gilbert added. "I know we see stories like this all the time, but you do fool yourself that you're safe in our world. You get in your own bubble, around your friends...it's just a shocking, horrible reminder that any of us can be a victim of this kind of hate. We send our love and prayers that you heal quickly, Jussie and we hope you're well."

U.S. Senator Kamala Harris tweeted, "@JussieSmollett is one of the kindest, most gentle human beings I know. I'm praying for his quick recovery. This was an attempted modern day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate."

Tyler Perry wrote on Instagram: "This may be a waste of time because I have learned that it's often pointless to try and reach people who are hell bent on living in darkness, but here goes. To hate someone because of their race or sexuality is a shining reflection of who you are. To buy into the fear and the racist hatred that is being handed out daily by some of our politicians speaks to the ability of your very simple and small mind to be easily manipulated. To attack a defenseless person shows how much of a coward and how truly weak you really are. But as my grandmother always said when someone did something awful and evil, "I promise you, you will reap what you sow." My tears and prayers are with the gentle, beautiful soul that is @jussiesmollett. I'm standing with you my friend and anyone else who is bullied and battered and marginalized because of the BEAUTY OF WHO THEY ARE. I love you and your family. Get well soon."

20th Century Fox posted a statement to "Empire's" official Instagram page. "We are deeply saddened and outraged to learn that a member of our 'Empire' family, Jussie Smollett, was viciously attacked last night," the statement read. "We send our love to Jussie, who is resilient and strong, and we will work with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice. The entire studio, network and production stands united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate -- and especially against one of our own."

Smollett publicly came out as gay on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" back in March 2015.

Read how people are reacting below.

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