Jussie Smollet jailed for staging racist attack
Popular actor and Empire star, Jussie Smollet has been jailed for 150 days for lying to the police about a racist and homophobic attack he staged on himself.
After he was sentenced, the famous actor loudly shouted: “I am innocent. I could have said I am guilty a long time ago.”
Smollett has also been sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, and ordered to pay $120,106 (£91,753) in restitution – as well as a $25,000 fine.
Prosecutors had alleged that the 39-year-old had lied to officers when he told them that he was accosted by two masked strangers on a dark Chicago street in January 2019.
Smollett had claimed the attackers threw a noose around his neck and poured chemicals on him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs – and that they expressed their support for then president Donald Trump.
But the star was arrested a month later and accused of paying two brothers $3,500 (£2,600) to stage the attack in an effort to raise his profile.
He pleaded not guilty to six counts of felony and disorderly conduct – but a jury found him guilty of five of those counts in December.
During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, Smollett’s grandmother Molly had described him as a “justice warrior” – and the 92-year-old told the court: “I ask you, judge, not to send him to prison. If you do, send me along with him, okay?”
His brother Joel also spoke in his defence, and said Smollett was “not a threat to the people of Illinois”.
Lawyers representing the actor also read out letters of support from a Black Lives Matter organiser, as well as Samuel L Jackson, which asked the judge to consider the impact that jail time would have on his life and career.
Others expressed fears that Smollett would be in danger in prison because of his race, sexual orientation and his family’s Jewish heritage.
Local officials said the costs of investigating the actor’s allegations were significant – but the impact that his false report had on “actual victims” of such crimes was immeasurable.
Smollett had faced a maximum of three years in prison for each of the five counts.
Sky News/ Joy Onu
