Empire's Jussie Smollet attacked: He had rope around his neck and chemicals thrown at him

Empire star Jussie Smollet is recovering after being attacked in what appears to be a homophobic and racially-motivated incident.

Eonline reports the actor was walking home when two people approached him and started shouting racial and homophobic slurs.

They then poured a chemical substance on him and tied a rope around his neck.

TMZ reports that Chicago police have confirmed that the actor was hospitalised. In his statement, he said that the men were wearing MAGA (Make America Great Again) caps and kept referring to it during the incident.

MAGA was the slogan used by US President Donald Trump during his 2016 election campaign.

It's believed that Jussie still had the rope around his neck when he made contact with police.

TMZ is also reporting that the cast of Empire, who are all currently filming in Chicago have received additional security. The site reports Jussie received hate mail last week.

No arrests have yet been made.