Jussie Smollett testifies CNN's Don Lemon warned him cops didn't believe attack

CNN's Don Lemon warned Jussie Smollett that Chicago police did not believe he was the victim of a hate crime, the actor testified in his defense, according to the Daily Mail.

Lemon reportedly texted Smollett in 2019 that he knew detectives from the Chicago Police Department were skeptical of the Empire actor's claims that he was beaten at 2:00 a.m. on one of the coldest nights of the year by two men wearing Make America Great Again hats in downtown Chicago.

Prosecutors say Smollett made a false police report about the alleged attack. He is charged with multiple counts of felony disorderly conduct. 

Last night, Lemon interviewed reporter Omar Jiminez, who was present at Smollett's trial, but the CNN anchor did not mention the reported texts. 

Smollett's testimony may be another recent example of a CNN host using their power to assist someone close to them.

CNN's Chris Cuomo was fired last week after evidence surfaced showing the anchor using his position to help defend his brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) against allegations of sexual harassment. The former host of Cuomo Prime Time is now facing his own allegations of sexual misconduct.

Lemon is currently facing a lawsuit from a bartender who claims the CNN anchor sexually assaulted him in 2019 at a Hamptons bar.