VIDEO : Jussie Smollett Heads To Court

CHICAGO (Reuters) - ?Empire? actor Jussie Smollett is due to appear in court in Chicago on Thursday to face charges in a 16-count indictment accusing him of falsely reporting to police that he was the victim of a hate-crime assault. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski In an indictment returned by a grand jury last Thursday, Smollett, 36, who is black, openly gay and plays a gay musician on Fox?s hip-hop drama, was charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct alleging he gave false accounts of an attack on him to police investigators. Police said Smollett hoped the incident would advance his career and secure him a higher salary.