Editorial
Empire actor Jussie Smollett has reportedly been sentenced to 150 days in jail after a jury determined that he was guilty of lying to police about being the victim of a hate crime back in 2019.
The 39-year-old appeared in court on March 10, where he was told that as well as facing jail time, he was also sentenced to 30 months felony probation.
In addition to this, he was reportedly ordered to pay the city of Chicago $120,106 in restitution, in addition to the maximum $25,000 fine.
Find out more about Jussie Smollett’s sentencing in the clip below…
In court, Smollett was told by Judge James Linn that his sentence would start immediately, and would be carried out at Cook County jail.
The judge reportedly denied the actor’s motion to reconsider his sentence or delay it while a counsel attempted to file an appeal.
Linn apparently spent a lengthy amount of time addressing Smollett, telling the star that he has ‘destroyed’ his life.
He reportedly said: “Let me tell you Mr Smollett, I know that there is nothing that I will do here today that can come close to the damage you’ve already done to your own life.
“You’ve turned your life upside down by your misconduct and shenanigans, you’ve destroyed your life as you knew it, and there’s nothing that any sentencing judge could do to you that can compare to the damage you’ve already caused yourself.”
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Although Smollett initially refused to speak at the sentencing, he went on to protest his innocence, reportedly saying: “I am innocent, and I am not suicidal.”
He continued: “If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of black Americans in this country for over 400 years and the fears of the LGBT community. Your honour, I respect you and I respect the jury. But I did not do this, and I am not suicidal – and if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.
“I respect you, your honour, and I respect your decision.”
The case began in 2019 when the black and gay actor alleged to Chicago police that he had been the victim of a racial and homophobic attack.
The actor claimed that he was walking down the street late at night when two men began to follow him and were yelling slurs.
He alleged that they went on to throw an ‘unknown chemical substance’ on him, and place a noose around his neck.
However, in the trial, the police and prosecutors argued otherwise. They alleged that Smollett had actually paid brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo to stage the attack.
The siblings reportedly testified that they were asked to carry out the incident.
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