CHICAGO — Chicago police late Friday released without charges two Nigerian brothers arrested on suspicion of assaulting “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett and said they have new evidence to investigate as a result of questioning them.

Smollett, who is black and gay, has said two masked men shouting racial and anti-gay slurs and “This is MAGA country!” beat him and looped a rope around his neck early on Jan. 29 before running away.

– From news service reports