The former 'Empire' star checks himself into rehab months after his attorneys filed an appeal challenging his December 2021 conviction for lying to police about being a victim of racism and anti-gay attacks.
- Oct 19, 2023
AceShowbiz - Jussie Smollett is taking a step to get his life back on track. The former "Empire" star, who was found guilty of lying to police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019, reportedly has entered rehab following his hate crime hoax conviction.
Revealing the news was the 41-year-old's rep. In a statement to TMZ, the rep said, "Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps." It was also unveiled that the actor is in an outpatient program.
Smollett, who is black and gay, made headlines after he claimed that he was attacked by two men who yelled anti-gay and racist remarks at him. The men allegedly put a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him on a frigid night in Chicago.
Following police investigation, it was then determined that the attack was staged. Smollett was found to have paid the Osundairo brothers $3,500 to stage the hate crime against him so he could get publicity and a career boost.
Smo llett was found guilty in December 2021 of five out of six felony counts of disorderly conduct for making a false report to police. He was sentenced in March 2022 to 30 months of felony probation, including 150 days in jail. In addition, Smollett was ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000 and a fine of $25,000 for making false reports to police.
Smollett's attorneys, however, filed an appeal challenging his conviction. Through the March 1 filing, they requested a new trial for Smollett.
Filed in the Illinois First Judicial District appellate court, the court document argued that Smollett's prosecution violated his due process rights, in part by not enforcing what his attorneys describe as a binding non-prosecution agreement. The actor's legal team also claimed that he was subjected to double jeopardy, takes issue with the appointment of a special prosecutor and argues his sentence was excessive, among other things.
