‘Empire’ Actor Jussie Smollett Released from Jail After Sentencing

Jussie Smollett’s saga continues after more than three years; last week he was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation and 150 days in jail for faking a fake crime back in 2019. Smollett was released from Cook County Jail on Wednesday night after an appeals court agreed with his lawyers that he should be released. 

The appeals court said Smollett could be released after signing a personal recognizance bond of $150,000, which did not require any money be paid, according to ABC7 Chicago. Smollett was accompanied by security and two of his siblings, but he didn’t say a word to the press. One of his attorneys told ABC7 that he’s still in Illinois and planned to help his family and legal team to work on his appeal. 

According to them. Judge James Linn called Smollett “shameful” and “a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime” prior to handing down the sentence last week. The judge had previously ordered the actor and singer Smollett to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago and $25,000 fine.  

In January 2019, Smollett reported a threatening letter with a powdery substance to the police, sent to the studio where Empire was being filmed. A few days later, he said that he’d been victim of a homophobic and racist assault, that he was being beaten and choked with a noose, and police alleged that Smollett had caused the attack with two other men. 

In an interview with police, Smollett said that the two men that attacked him yelled “MAGA country,” a reference to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. 

In February 2020, Smollett was indicted on six counts of disorderly conduct related to making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers. 

According to AP News, after Cook County Judge James Linn issued his decision, Smollett proclaimed himself innocent. 

“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 LGBTQ community,” Smollett said. “Your Honor, 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 myself. And you must all know that.”

After the hearing, special prosecutor Dan Webb says, “His conduct denigrated hate crimes. His conduct will discourage others who are victims of hate crimes from coming forward and reporting those crimes to law enforcement.”

Photo Courtesy of Sister2Sister on Facebook