Mike Rowe Reveals Why He Left Fox News Set As Soon As Jussie Smollett Verdict Came Out

As soon as the verdict came in for Jussie Smollett, Fox News fans were stunned to see the former “Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe get up and leave the set of “The Five.” Now, Rowe is speaking out to reveal why he did this.

Last week, Smollett was found guilty on charges related to him allegedly staging a hate crime against himself in January of 2019. 

Check out the moment Rowe left the table below.

Rowe Leaves Set

“A couple days ago you were on ‘The Five,’ when the Jussie Smollett verdict came in and you walked off the set,” a fan wrote to Rowe on Facebook. “I don’t know if they asked you to leave, or if you just didn’t want to be there for a conversation that would turn political, but you walked off the set…carrying your chair!!! I don’t why this struck me as hysterical, but it was. I mean, seriously, who walks off with their own chair?”

“It was the producer who told me to leave, and I was glad to comply,” Rowe replied. “Breaking news is always a goat rodeo, and my views on Smollett were bound to piss some people off.”

“The reason I took my chair, though, is because my microphone cord was attached to it, along with my IFB, and I didn’t want to stand there like an idiot trying to untie the wires on live television,” he added. “Personally, I think everyone who sits behind a desk on TV should be responsible for their own chair, but I suspect I’m in the minority. Anyway, the moment to which you refer is attached. Enjoy!”

Related: Black Lives Matter Throws Support Behind Jussie Smollett – ‘We Can Never Believe The Police’

Smollett Convicted 

Smollett claimed in January of 2019 that he was attacked by two men who hurled racist and homophobic slurs at him while also shouting “this is MAGA country.” He also allegedly said that they tied a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him.

After police investigated, however, they found that Smollett had paid two men, brothers, to attack him in the hopes of garnering himself publicity that would land him a higher salary on “Empire.”

Last Thursday, a Chicago jury found Smollett guilty of five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report after testimony from 13 witnesses, according to The New York Times. 

Related: Jussie Smollett Snaps On The Stand During Unhinged Testimony – ‘Unparalleled Disaster’

Smollett Played Off Tensions In America 

Many feel that Smollett played off the racial and political divisions that are currently plaguing America just for his own personal gain.

Had Rowe stayed on the set of “The Five” instead of leaving, we have no doubt that he would have given Smollett a piece of his mind!