Daily Show host Trevor Noah made light of the latest developments in the Jussie Smollett case on Wednesday night, referring to the former Empire actor as “black Pinochhio” and saying he needs a “white-lady nickname.”
Smollett was indicted Tuesday on six new counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police about being the victim of a racist and anti-gay hate crime last January.
“Yes, Jussie Smollett is back in the headlines, this time for being indicted for reporting a fake hate crime,” Noah said. “And it really sounds bad, until you remember that his plan all along was to get a recurring [Empire] storyline that doesn’t go away. This is what he wanted!
“And look, I know what Jussie did was wrong, but at the same time I kind of feel bad for him, because he gets into trouble now for calling in fake crimes, but those Permit Patties who made those bullshit calls to 911, they live their lives,” Noah added. “They just do their thing. Maybe that should be Jussie’s punishment: he should be forced to get a white-lady nickname. Everywhere he goes, people will be like, ‘Well, well, well, there goes Subway Smollett!’”
In related news, the Chicago Tribune reports that Smollett’s attorneys are likely to seek dismissal of the new charges on grounds they amount to “double jeopardy.”
Watch the clip from The Daily Show below.
