FReepers instantly recognized it as a hoax. Leftists might ask themselves why we knew and they did not.
From the first moment, it was clearly a hoax. Even if I WANTED to believe it, I wouldn't have been able to.
I did head over to DU to see what their take was on it. Surprisingly, there were a small group of posters warning to be wary of this. Too many red flags. They were pounced upon by others who demanded Smollett be believed.