Jussie Smollett is being accused of filing a fake police report.
A judge has spoken strongly about allegations that a US actor staged a hoax hate crime against himself.
In a police report, Smollett claimed he was subject to a homophobic and racist assault.
Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke said the charges are "utterly outrageous" and "despicable" if they're true.
36-year-old Smolllett, who stars in the TV series Empire, is accused of carrying out the publicity stunt in a bid to advance his career and name.
His legal team say the accusations against him are an "organised law enforcement spectacle."
They also say he is "a young man of impeccable character."
Reddit sues Australia over social media ban
Eurovision winner Nemo to send trophy back in protest over Israel's participation
World-famous cellist Hauser to perform in Abu Dhabi
BRIDGE Summit: Bassem Yousef says satire isn't meant to fix the world
Jared Harris tells content creators to prioritise storytelling over tech at BRIDGE
