BREAKING NEWS – Chicago, Illinois – Jussie Smollett said he had correspondence with CNN’s Don Lemon during the early parts of the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) investigation into the alleged hate crime attack for which Smollett is currently on trial defending himself against allegations he faked the entire ordeal.

In his court testimony, Smollett, 39, said under oath that during the investigation, he received a text from the network’s Don Lemon — supposedly relaying information that the CPD didn’t believe his account of what happened. Smollet testified that Lemon told him not to worry, because he would make sure that CNN twisted a story to make the CPD appear to be homophobic racists. “Our viewers are dumb enough to believe anything,” Smollet said alleging quoting Lemon. Smollet then said Lemon warned him to stay away from honest objective journalists that have an ounce of integrity.