Basketball legend Charles Barkley said that charges being dropped against actor Jussie Smollett for allegedly staging a hate crime is bad news, especially for “real” victims and the police.
On Wednesday, TMZ caught up with the NBA sports analyst and asked him if he thought the 36-year-old actor had “skated” and Barkley said, “That’s an understatement.”
“I don’t think he [Smollett] should have went to jail,” he added. “But it is unfortunate. I think it’s a really bad situation for everybody involved.”
“There’s no winners. We’re all losers.” Barkley continued.
The retired basketball star also admitted that his initial reaction was “disappointment.”
“Well, I was disappointed because it put the police in a bad light,” Barkley explained. “Those are the losers, the real victims.”
“Anybody who’s gay who gets beat up, they’re the real losers,” he added. “Or black who gets beat up, they’re the real losers.”
Last month, after reports said that the “Empire” star had gone from being the victim in the case to the alleged suspect, the NBA analyst had some solid advice for Smollett and America in a can’t-miss clip. Check it out.
“America, let me just tell you something: Do not commit crimes with checks. If you’re going to break the law, do not write a check … get cash man,” Barkley told his audience on “Inside the NBA.”