Is Jussie Smollett innocent? As Netflix revisits Hollywood’s complex ‘hate-crime’ case, sensational actor back in spotlight

What is the Jussie Smollett case?

According to Smollett, he managed to take a look at his attackers’ faces before they hit him, poured liquid, and threw a rope around his neck, nearly choking him. The story shocked the public, with celebrities and Democrats rallying to his defence. Just a week earlier, Smollett had received a threatening letter on the set of Empire, leading the show’s director to tighten security. An investigation was launched, and police soon arrested two Nigerian brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo (both worked as the Empire crew).

“Overnight, the Chicago Police Department received a report of a possible racially charged assault and battery against a cast member of the television show Empire,” read the CPD’s initial statement, acquired by PEOPLE. “Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime.” But the narrative changed when the brothers confessed that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to stage the entire incident, and everything was planned, from the slurs to the rope to the fake fight, after the earlier threatening letter failed to generate the media attention he craved.

As the investigation progressed, police began to find inconsistencies in Smollett’s story and asked him to hand over his phone records, which he refused. Later, after securing his phone text messages, police found texts between Smollett and one of the brothers, which directly referenced the attack and suggested that the whole attack was staged. Smollett, however, refused to accept this and claimed those texts were code for buying drugs, not planning an attack. In the documentary, Smollett said, “I’m embarrassed to say this, but it was for an herbal steroid that was illegal in the US that can be gotten in Nigeria, and it was to lose belly fat,” he said. “I wrote a check to my trainer for a five-week period, which is the time that he was supposed to be working. It’s a business check. That’s what it was for.”

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Chicago police charged Smollett with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false report. He was arrested and released on bail. But, days later was indicted on 16 felony counts. In a surprising turn of events, on March 26, 2019, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office overturned the ruling, dropping all 16 charges. Office head, Kim Foxx, let Smollett walk free in exchange for the actor forfeiting his $10,000 bond and performing 16 hours of community service. The move outraged the officials and prosecutors, who then started investigating the case more aggressively. 

By 2020, a special prosecutor reopened the case. In 2021, Smollett went on trial and was found guilty on five counts of lying to police. In 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay over $120,000 for the damages done to the city. He only served six days before being released while appealing the verdict. In 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett’s conviction. The court’s decision was based on the law that a person cannot be prosecuted twice after they have already completed an agreed-upon resolution to a case. This decision nowhere meant he was innocent, only that the way his case was handled violated his agreement.

By  May 2025, Smollett settled his civil lawsuit with Chicago by donating $50,000 to art centres and charity events. Till now, Smollett maintains he didn’t fake the incident. In Netflix’s new documentary, The Truth About Jussie Smollett, he defends his stance further. Some details in the doc give weight to Smollett’s version. For example, a hotel security guard reported seeing a white man running from the scene, and a neighbour witnessing the same.

Who is Jussie Smollett and where is he now? 

Smollett, who started his career as a child actor with credits like The Mighty Ducks (1992), Empire, and ABC’s On Our Own, saw his Hollywood journey derail amid the controversy. Now, he’s aiming for a comeback. He made his feature directorial debut with B-Boy Blues (2021), and in 2024, both directed and starred opposite Vivica A. Fox in The Lost Holiday. Off-screen, he recently announced his engagement to actor Jabari Redd, and according to EW, he’s set to headline season 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.