‘Empire’ TV star Jussie Smollett has been targeted in a suspected racist and homophobic hate crime , after he was attacked by two men while leaving a restaurant.

The 36 year-old gay African-American actor, was admitted to hospital after the two men punched him in the face and doused him in an unknown chemical substance, before tying a rope around his neck, shouting “this is MAGA country”, and fleeing the scene.

The  incident is being investigated by Chicago police as a hate crime.