Jussie Smollett has cancelled a meet and greet ahead of an upcoming gig.
The actor/singer is scheduled to play at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Saturday (02Feb18), but has now decided to pull the plug on an up close and personal event with fans which was planned to take place prior to the show.
According to editors at TMZ.com, an email was sent to ticketholders informing them of the decision.
"For security reasons, we cannot accommodate any meet and greets," the email reads, though does not refer to any specific threat.
Meet and greet ticketholders can get a refund or donate the cost of the ticket to the Black AIDS Institute, a non-profit organisation which promotes awareness of HIV and AIDS in African-American communities.
The news comes just days after Jussie was attacked in an alleged racist and homophobic assault in Chicago, Illinois. The Empire star was reportedly beaten and had a noose tied around his neck by masked men on Tuesday (29Jan19). Police officers are investigating the incident and have released images of two people they want to question.
However, the suspects have not been publicly identified and arrests have yet to be made.
On Thursday, Jussie issued a statement to Essence magazine, insisting his account given to police investigators has remained consistent, despite differing accounts in the media.
"My body is strong but my soul is stronger. More importantly, I want to say thank you. The outpouring of love and support from my village has meant more than I will ever be able to truly put into words," he wrote. "I am working with authorities and have been 100 per cent factual and consistent on every level... I still believe that justice will be served."
