Reuters People News Summary

Following is a summary of current people news briefs. Assault on 'Empire' actor Smollett investigated as hate crime

Chicago police on Tuesday said they were investigating an assault on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett as a possible hate crime after two men yelled racial and homophobic slurs and wrapped a rope around his neck. The 36-year-old African-American actor, who is gay, was reported to be in good condition after taking himself to a hospital after the incident early Tuesday, police said. Michael Jackson's family calls new documentary 'public lynching'

The family of Michael Jackson on Monday described reaction to a new documentary about alleged child sex abuse by the late singer as a "public lynching" and said he was "100 percent innocent" of such accusations. The statement followed the premiere at the Sundance film festival on Friday of "Leaving Neverland," in which two men, now in their 30s, say they were befriended by the "Thriller" singer and sexually abused by him starting from when they were 7 and 10 years old.