<p>The Illinois Supreme Court will hear Jussie Smollett’s appeal after an appeals court in December upheld his conviction for disorderly conduct.</p>
<p>The conviction stems from Smollett’s 2019 claim that he was the victim of a hate crime – an allegation that proved to be false. The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday released <a href="https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/1ddf8abe-5325-4153-8797-7f4d5b9958d2/March%2027,%202024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a list</a> of cases that it would allow to appeal, and Smollett’s case is included.</p>
<p>In December, a state appeals court upheld Smollett’s conviction in a 2-1 vote, WLS <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/where-is-jussie-smollett-today-empire-supreme-court-now/14578113/?ex_cid=TA_WLS_TW&amp;taid=660457abf4ed320001808e38&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Smollett then took his appeal to the state Supreme Court. A hearing date for the appeal has not been set.</p>
<p>In January 2019, Smollett claimed he was walking alone at night in Chicago during a polar vortex when two supporters of former President Donald Trump — allegedly carrying rope and bleach — recognized him from his role on “Empire” and brutally attacked him while yelling racial and homophobic slurs.</p>
<p>Smollett returned to a friend’s home and called the police, still wearing the noose that he said was placed around his neck by his attackers.</p>
<p>It was later reported that Smollett hired two Nigerian brothers he had previously worked with to stage the attack to raise his profile and hopefully get him a raise on “Empire” and further his acting career. The brothers alleged that Smollett paid them to buy plain red hats that he later claimed were “Make American Great Again” (MAGA) hats, signaling the attackers’ support of Trump.</p>
<p>In September 2020, Smollett insisted he was “set up” and continued to claim that he was attacked by two white men wearing MAGA hats. The brothers who said they were paid to stage the attack are black. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-insists-he-was-set-up-says-he-has-two-new-witnesses-to-refuse-hoax-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time that Smollett suddenly started claiming he had two witnesses who could prove he did not fake the attack.</p>
<p>After Chicago police investigated Smollett’s original claims for two weeks, they suspected he had staged the attack. Smollett was charged with 16 counts of lying to police, but those charges were dropped as part of a sweetheart plea deal made with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.</p>
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<p>A special prosecutor was assigned to review the deal, and ultimately revived six of the original charges against Smollett, who was convicted of the charges in 2021. He spent just six days in jail after he appealed his 150-day sentence.</p>
<p>In March of last year, the brothers who helped Smollett stage the attack <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brothers-who-helped-carry-out-staged-attack-on-jussie-smollett-apologize-in-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologized</a> during an appearance on Fox News.</p>
<p>“I just first want to apologize to everyone in the audience, the country, and anyone who might have been affected by this directly. When we were asked to partake in this, we really didn’t foresee the ramifications of what something like this could do to the country,” one of the brothers said. “We allowed our ambition to cloud our judgment.”</p>


Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett Granted Chance To Appeal Conviction To Illinois Supreme Court

Chicago

Crime

Hate Crime

Hoax

U.S.

2018 Ailey Spirit Gala Benefit

The Skyrocketing Epidemic Of Fake Hate Crimes

LGBTQ

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Readers Pass

<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elliot-page-formerly-ellen-announces-superhero-character-will-come-out-trans-in-upcoming-season-of-netflix-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elliot Page</a> — the actor formerly known as Ellen Page who know identifies as a man — claimed recently to have been threatened by a &#8220;transphobe&#8221; in Los Angeles, but the claim has been met with skepticism online, where Page has been compared to disgraced actor Jussie Smollett.</p>
<p>In a memoir released Tuesday, titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pageboy-Memoir-Elliot-Page/dp/1250878357?tag=nypost-20&amp;asc_refurl=https://nypost.com/2023/06/06/elliot-page-reveals-chilling-transphobic-attack-outside-la-hotel/&amp;asc_source=web" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pageboy</a>,&#8221; the 36-year-old actor alleged that in 2022, when the star was in L.A. (on Sunset and La Cienaga), a man allegedly &#8220;threatened to assault&#8221; the &#8220;Umbrella Academy&#8221; actor, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-06-04/for-real-elliot-page-survival-pageboy-umbrella-academy?fbclid=PAAabljJY_1EyODzdtcVyY1yInSjCyaUnCOw6H9VnaHpXRn_3tEZ_fBtSa5w4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m going to f***ing gay bash you, f*****,&#8221; the columnist wrote, quoting Page&#8217;s book.</p>
<p>Page then ran to a nearby convenience store, where employees ushered the actor inside. &#8220;From the other side of the door, the man allegedly yelled: &#8216;This is why I need a gun!'&#8221; the columnist added, quoting Page.</p>
<p>&#8220;Now when I&#8217;m in Los Angeles, I don&#8217;t feel comfortable like I used to going for walks,&#8221; Page told the Times.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Elliot&quot; Page alleges being on the receiving end of a &quot;transphobic&quot; attack outside of an LA hotel from an &quot;enraged man&quot; throwing around language no one uses in real life. Seems pretty Sussie. Check out the full video now LIVE on YouTube! <a href="https://t.co/RlR6QYgz60">pic.twitter.com/RlR6QYgz60</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Eric July (@EricDJuly) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricDJuly/status/1666076695898595329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Despite the fact that the &#8220;Juno&#8221; star admitted to having &#8220;resources&#8221; to stay in safe hotels and hire security, the actor said that it &#8220;doesn’t mean it&#8217;s not traumatic. But I have resources that, in every instance that is difficult, protect and can shield me from these things.&#8221;</p>
<p>Social media users reacted to the headlines about the alleged L.A. attack, noting how Left-leaning Hollywood is and comparing it to Smollett&#8217;s race hoax in 2019, calling page &#8220;Ellen Smollett.&#8221;</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smollett</a> told police that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who yelled racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an &#8220;unknown substance&#8221; on him, and yelled that this is &#8220;MAGA country.&#8221; The disgraced actor was later convicted on five felony counts, which included lying to Chicago police.</p>
<p>&#8220;Oh please-Jussie Smollett 2.o,&#8221; one person tweeted.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh please &#8211; Jussie Smollett 2.0. <a href="https://t.co/gegaSYAHvI">https://t.co/gegaSYAHvI</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Catturd ™ (@catturd2) <a href="https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1666071061484503040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Another wrote, &#8220;They were also overheard shouting ‘This is MAGA country!’”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">They were also overheard shouting &quot;This is MAGA country!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YoWHnNycOX">https://t.co/YoWHnNycOX</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1666079086681235456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>While another tweeted, &#8220;Los Angeles is inhospitable to the trans community. Page&#8217;s attackers reportedly said ‘Welcome to Magadonia.’”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Los Angeles is inhospitable to the trans community. Page’s attackers reportedly said “Welcome to Magadonia.” <a href="https://t.co/d2BGQL2Mlk">https://t.co/d2BGQL2Mlk</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1666080277750493190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ada_lluch/status/1666115061411184640?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One person</a> tweeted that they didn&#8217;t believe Page&#8217;s claims &#8220;that &#8216;he&#8217; was verbally attacked and threatened by a crazed transphobic man in California.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;I do not believe this for the same reason I did not believe Jussie Smollett. Just smells fishy,&#8221; the person added. &#8220;Elliot Page was born female, and this is how an hysterical female acts, not a real man. A real man would have given it right back to the attacker, not run to the press crying.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;A real man doesn&#8217;t need constant affirmation the way trans men do,&#8221; the person continued. &#8220;A real man doesn&#8217;t make things up for attention, because he is the star of his own life. He LEADS, not follows. &#8216;ELLIOT&#8217; Page looks like a boy in &#8216;his&#8217; topless photo, but &#8216;he&#8217; still sounds like the woman &#8216;he&#8217; was born to be.&#8221;</p>
<p>Others were more brief in their sarcasm.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="no" dir="ltr">Ellen Smollett <a href="https://t.co/W2DjPVmVTW">https://t.co/W2DjPVmVTW</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekahunter/status/1666080948641726464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Did they leave behind a noose and two Nigerian passports? <a href="https://t.co/zL8dyRFmPq">https://t.co/zL8dyRFmPq</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Chadwick Moore (@Chadwick_Moore) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chadwick_Moore/status/1666080589810655232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elliot-page-lands-time-magazine-cover-talks-of-transgender-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page</a> announced to the world in December 2020 the actor was transgender, about six years after the star came out as a lesbian. In a March 2021 issue of <a href="https://time.com/5947032/elliot-page-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time magazine</a>, Page discussed undergoing transgender surgery.</p>


The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion – Arrivals

‘Smells Fishy’: Elliot Page Being Compared To Jussie Smollett Over Alleged ‘Transphobic Attack’

Celebrities

Ellen Page

Elliot Page

Entertainment

Transgender

<p>The two Nigerian brothers responsible for helping disgraced actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jussie-smollett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett</a> carry out his fake hate crime attack in 2019 apologized for the stunt during an interview this week.</p>
<p>Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, nicknamed Bola and Ola, made the apology during a Thursday night interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.</p>
<p>Smollett, who formerly starred in “Empire,” paid $3,500 to the two brothers to carry out the orchestrated attack. Smollett was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-found-guilty-on-multiple-counts-in-hate-crime-hoax-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> in 2021 on five counts stemming from lies that he told law enforcement officials about the incident. In March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail, but only ended up spending six days behind bars after an appeal.</p>
<p>&#8220;I just first want to apologize to everyone in the audience, the country, and anyone who might have been affected by this directly. When we were asked to partake in this, we really didn&#8217;t foresee the ramifications of what something like this could do to the country,&#8221; Ola Osundairo said. &#8220;We allowed our ambition to cloud our judgment.&#8221;</p>
<p>Smollett claimed that the men who attacked him were white and that they shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him and claimed that Chicago was &#8220;MAGA country.&#8221;</p>
<p>In a Fox News special about the incident, Abimbola told the network: “The police did ask us what Jussie’s motive was, but Jussie did not really tell me a motive.”</p>
<p>“[But] from what he was speaking about, or talking about, I would say what he wanted to accomplish was to increase his star level,” he continued.</p>
<p>“I thought he was a good actor, but I also thought this guy was a fraud,” Abimbola said, referencing Smollett’s attitude in interviews after the incident. “This guy is really just sitting here, lying to these people. Lying through his teeth, and not caring. … I did feel betrayed by Jussie and what he had done. I didn’t know what to do — I wasn’t ready to say anything. Like, I was mute. And I didn’t want to say anything.”</p>
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<p>“Insane. That’s when I really saw a different side of Jussie,” he said. “Like, dude, really? This is when I knew that this dude was like a supervillain.”</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Brothers paid by Jussie Smollett share new details about the hate hoax" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vawbuv9THt8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>


US-NEWS-SMOLLETT-3-TB

Brothers Who Helped Carry Out Staged Attack On Jussie Smollett Apologize In Interview

Fox News

Scandals

Sean Hannity

<p style="font-weight: 400;">The two Nigerian brothers who say they were paid by actor Jussie Smollett to stage an attack on him in January 2019, engendering an outcry from the political Left including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, are speaking out about the incident and its aftermath for the first time.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Smollett, the former “Empire” star who paid $3,500 to Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, has never admitted that the attack, which he claimed was perpetrated by white supremacists, was a hoax. The brothers said that the attack was a hoax after they were in jail for nearly two days. Smollett was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct in December 2021. In March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail but only ended up spending six days behind bars after an appeal.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“The police did ask us what Jussie&#8217;s motive was, but Jussie did not really tell me a motive,” Abimbola told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/brothers-in-jussie-smollett-hoax-break-silence-say-actor-wanted-to-be-poster-child-for-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Nation</a>. “[But] from what he was speaking about, or talking about, I would say what he wanted to accomplish was to increase his star level.&#8221;</p>
<p>The comments were made in an interview for a new Fox Nation documentary called &#8220;Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax.&#8221;</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“He wanted to be the poster child for activism,” Olabinjo said, as Abimbola added, “That’s what I wanted to say. He wanted to be the hero for gay people, for black people,” The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11856587/Brothers-paid-Jussie-Smollett-attack-Chicago-street-break-silence.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported.</a></p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“I thought he was a good actor, but I also thought this guy was a fraud,” Abimbola said, referencing Smollett’s attitude in interviews after the incident. “This guy is really just sitting here, lying to these people. Lying through his teeth, and not caring. &#8230; I did feel betrayed by Jussie and what he had done. I didn&#8217;t know what to do — I wasn&#8217;t ready to say anything. Like, I was mute. And I didn&#8217;t want to say anything.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">“Insane. That&#8217;s when I really saw a different side of Jussie,” he said. “Like, dude, really? This is when I knew that this dude was like a supervillain.”</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">When the interviewer asked the brothers if they were “believable white supremacists,” Abimbola laughed. “One hundred percent! Look at me!” he said.</p>
<p style="font-weight: 400;">Abimbola claimed that Smollett would ask him to “help him procure or get weed, and different types of paraphernalia. &#8230; He would ask me to do it because he’s not from Chicago, and he wanted to keep a lower profile. &#8230; He did not want to get the drug dealer’s number – he wanted me to be the middleman and to get the drugs for him.”</p>
<p>At the time, the Smollett hoax was quickly picked up as a talking point by major Democrats, including Biden.</p>
<p>Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1090422326783606784" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>, &#8220;What happened today to<a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett"> @JussieSmollett</a> must never be tolerated in this country. We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie.” Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1090361495119187969?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the incident</a> a “modern-day lynching.”</p>


Collage Maker-14-Mar-2023-08-19-AM-3219

‘Like A Supervillain’: Nigerian Brothers Hired By Jussie Smollett Speak Out For First Time

Nigerian Brothers Hired By Jussie Smollett Speak Out For First Time

Joe Biden

Nigeria

<p>Disgraced former actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jussie-smollett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett</a> is the focus on an upcoming docuseries, titled &#8220;Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax,” which will drop this month on the Fox Nation channel.</p>
<p>The five part series details the events that led up to Smollett’s call to police about being attacked on the streets of Chicago in January 2019 that later turned out to be a hoax, <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/03/fox-nation-jussie-smollett-anatomy-of-a-hoax-docuseries-1235275869/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deadline</a> magazine reported.</p>
<p>The series is being billed as providing exclusive interviews with brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who have yet to speak to the media about their part in Smollett&#8217;s elaborate plan to perpetrate the hate crime hoax, the outlet noted.</p>
<p>&#8220;Describes the intrigue and drama that caused a celebrity to become despised, shocked Chicago and beyond, and left a path of destroyed reputations and careers,&#8221; a description about the docuseires reads on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26934427/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Osundairo brothers will provide all the details related to the false crime,&#8221; it added.</p>
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<p>“‘Anatomy of a Hoax&#8217; takes a deep dive into a scam that reverberated through the worlds of entertainment, pop culture and politics,&#8221; John Finley, the streaming platform&#8217;s executive vice president, shared.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re excited for viewers to hear the real stories behind this scandal from the Osundairo brothers for the very first time,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>📱<strong><a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a></strong></p>
<p>In January 2019, Smollett told police that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an “unknown substance” on him, and yelled that this is “MAGA country,” The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The two men he claimed attacked him were the Osundairo brothers.</p>
<p>The disgraced actor was later convicted on five felony counts, which included lying to Chicago PD. In December 2021, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, followed by 30 months probation. He was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution and $25,000 in fines, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He was released from jail in March 2022, pending appeal.</p>
<p>Throughout the entire ordeal and after, Smollett has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-releases-rap-single-asserting-his-innocence-attacking-critics-after-being-released-from-jail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintained his innocence</a>, going so far as to say that if he &#8220;had done this,&#8221; he&#8217;d &#8220;be a piece of s***,&#8221; as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-if-i-had-done-this-id-be-a-piece-of-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.</p>
<p>&#8220;Anatomy of A Hoax&#8221; hits Fox Nation on March 13.</p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-found-guilty-on-multiple-counts-in-hate-crime-hoax-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett Found Guilty On Multiple Counts In Hate Crime Hoax Case</a></strong></p>


Double-jeopardy claim for Jussie Smollett could hark back to landmark case against mob hit man

Jussie Smollett ‘Anatomy Of A Hoax’ Docuseries To Air In March

<p>Jussie Smollett, on a podcast released on his 40<sup>th</sup> birthday, still protested that he was not responsible for the infamous hoax in which he claimed he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack, insisting, “If I had done this, I&#8217;d be a piece of s***.”</p>
<p>Speaking on the Sway’s SiriusXM podcast, Smollett, who was found guilty of felony disorderly conduct for the incident but later only spent six days in jail pending appeal of his original 150-day sentence, declared there was no doubt he had not created the hoax.</p>
<p>“And I don&#8217;t think that that is — I don’t think that that is, that’s not really questionable,” he stated. “I wanted to say ‘If I had done something like this, it would mean that I stuck my fist in the pain of black Americans in this country for over 400 years.’”</p>
<p>“It would mean that I stuck my fist in the fears of the LGBTQ community all over the world. I am not that motherf*****. Never have been. Don&#8217;t need to be,” he asserted.</p>
<p>“Smollett told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an ‘unknown substance’ on him, and yelled that this is ‘MAGA country,’” The Daily Wire <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence/">reported.</a></p>
<p>“For whatever reason, I genuinely thought that people were gonna be like, ‘There is no way he did some bulls*** like that,’” Smollett continued on the podcast. “Y’all know me. And I’m thinking, people’s history should mean something.”</p>
<p>Smollet then attempted to deflect by saying some claims against him were true, but the claims he had perpetrated the hoax were not:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>And it’s very interesting: When someone lies on you, over and over, and you know what is the lie, then you’re forced to acknowledge the truths around the matter as well. And that’s really painful as well, cause it’s easy to just be like, “That’s a bulls*** lie. I didn’t do no f***ing hoax. F*** that.” But then at the same time, then they bring out drug stuff. And you’re, “Whew, I did do that.” And you’re sitting there and you’re like, “But this doesn’t have anything to do with what y’all are saying I did do that I didn’t do.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>“I don’t hold the people to anything that stepped back,” Smollett said of his critics. “I hold the people that went out there and said s***. I hold them to something, And not the people who don’t know me. But the people who do know me? F*** out of here. Y’all know better than that, Y’all know better than that. That&#8217;s some PR bulls***. And you know who you are. And I will not name names and I love everybody, but I don&#8217;t like everybody.”</p>
<p>“I am an actor, a director, a writer, a producer,” Smollett claimed. “If I were to do something, it would not be to look like a victim. It would be to look like, if anything, someone strong.”</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Jussie Smollett On Friendship with Taraji P. Henson, ‘B-Boy Blues’ Film &amp; Gaining Clarity From Jail" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pPLYVNTxjus?start=259&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>


Actor Jussie Smollett Appears Outside Of Court After It Was Announced That All Charges Have Been Dropped Against Him

Jussie Smollett: ‘If I Had Done This, I’d Be A Piece Of S***’

Jussie Smollett protests he did not create racist, anti-gay hoax

<p>Disgraced former &#8220;Empire&#8221; actor Jussie Smollett released a single Friday proclaiming his innocence of faking a hate crime, shortly after being released from jail.</p>
<p>Smollett released the single, titled “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVaIKKNAII4">Thank You, God</a>,&#8221; on several major music streaming services. In the song, Smollett asserts his innocence regarding the faking of a hate crime in 2019, and fires back at critics who &#8220;politicized&#8221; the controversy. The song also features a chorus in which he sings &#8220;thank you, God, for showing me my enemies.&#8221; A clip of the song was released to Smollett&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcGJKv3lvKy/">Instagram</a> account, which is run by his family, according to the account&#8217;s biography line. The caption under the clip said that proceeds from the song would go to support the Rainbow Push Coalition, STB Safety, and the Illinois Innocence Project.</p>
<p>The clip opens with a note from Smollett to fans. &#8220;Channeling these thoughts the best way I know how,&#8221; Smollett wrote. In the clip, Smollett asserts his innocence, and seemingly blames the criminal justice system for ignoring issues of race and homophobia:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>It’s like they’re hell-bent on not solving the crime</i></p>
<p><i>Taking out the elements of race and trans and homophobia that’s straight taking lives</i></p>
<p><i>But turn around and act like I’m the one that killed the strides</i></p></blockquote>
<p>He then appears to claim that those who turned his hate crime hoax into a public scandal were looking out for social media attention, and that he wasn&#8217;t &#8220;stupid enough&#8221; to kill his reputation by faking a hate crime:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>But I can’t be mad</i></p>
<p><i>Take my ego out</i></p>
<p><i>Some people searching for fame</i></p>
<p><i>Some people chasing that clout</i></p>
<p><i>Just remember this</i></p>
<p><i>This ain’t that situation</i></p>
<p><i>You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?</i></p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p><i>Just simply to look like a victim like it’s something fun</i></p>
<p><i>Y’all better look at someone else, you got the wrong one</i></p></blockquote>
<p>Smollett goes on to thank the people who stayed by his side when the controversy broke, and claims that the media narrative is the reason those around him &#8220;felt betrayed”:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>Wait, let me rephrase that</i></p>
<p><i>Cause the narrative they played</i></p>
<p><i>I really &#8220;over-stand&#8221; the reason why y&#8217;all felt betrayed</i></p></blockquote>
<p>Smollett also referenced film director <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/04/09/jussie-smollett-and-lee-daniels-not-on-speaking-terms/">Lee Daniels</a> and CNN anchor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-blasts-smollett-for-lies-stays-silent-on-allegedly-aiding-actor-during-police-investigation">Don Lemon</a>, saying he still had good will toward them, even after both figures distanced themselves from Smollett after his alleged hate crime was outed as a hoax:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>They had my own people</i></p>
<p><i>Thoughts going off the wall</i></p>
<p><i>That&#8217;s why from L.D. to Don I still got love for y&#8217;all</i></p>
<p><i>I know we&#8217;ll meet again</i></p>
<p><i>Talk like real men</i></p>
<p><i>Instead of sharing shade in rooms and up on CNN</i></p></blockquote>
<p>Smollett ends the clip, saying that he is “pushing through the clouds,” and that all he ever wanted to was &#8220;make his people proud”:</p>
<blockquote><p><i>Thunder&#8217;s mad loud</i></p>
<p><i>Still I&#8217;m pushing through the clouds</i></p>
<p><i>All I ever wanted to do was make my people proud</i></p>
<p><i>Fame is nothing real, it’s how you make them feel</i></p>
<p><i>Celebrity is for the birds, I ain’t no man of steel</i></p></blockquote>
<p>The full song, nearly 6 minutes long, has fewer than 1,600 plays on YouTube as of publication of this article, and the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/09/jussie-smollett-releases-new-song-claiming-innocence-weeks-after-leaving-jail/">New York Post</a> notes less than 6,000 plays on Spotify.</p>
<p>Smollett was convicted on five of six counts of disorderly conduct, which included lying to police. He was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-gets-jail-time-probation-ordered-to-pay-fine">sentenced</a> in December to 150 days in jail, followed by 30 months on probation, and ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution and $25,000 in fines. He was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence">released</a> from jail in March, pending appeal.</p>


Jussie Smollett Releases Rap Single Asserting His Innocence, Attacking Critics After Being Released From Jail

<p>Convicted felon Jussie Smollett was ordered to be released from jail on Wednesday pending appeal of his 150-day sentence that went into effect last week for staging a hate crime hoax against himself and lying to law enforcement about it.</p>
<p>&#8220;The one-page order issued by the Illinois Appellate Court on Wednesday afternoon stated that Smollett was to be released from the Cook County Jail after signing a $150,000 recognizance bond, which would not require him to post any money,&#8221; the Chicago Tribune <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/criminal-justice/ct-jussie-smollett-released-from-jail-pending-appeal-order-20220316-27sodqs4p5cffklcgtltvy5h2i-story.html">reported</a>. &#8220;The only explanation offered in the order was that Smollett has never been convicted of a violent offense and would have completed his sentence of incarceration well before his appeal is decided.&#8221;</p>
<p>Smollett was sentenced on Thursday of last week to 150 days in jail, followed by 30 months on probation, and ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution and $25,000 in fines during his sentencing.</p>
<p id="_ap_link_Jussie Smollett_JussieSmollett_">Smollett told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an “unknown substance” on him, and yelled that this is “MAGA country.”</p>
<p>Police later obtained footage of the two men, who are brothers, in question and detained them at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport a couple of weeks later after they returned from Nigeria. Police later released the two brothers, saying that they were not suspects in the investigation.</p>
<p>The Associated Press <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/timeline-events-jussie-smollett-reported-attack-83357422">highlighted</a> the following key events:</p>
<ul>
<li>Feb. 16, 2019: Police say the investigation has “shifted” after detectives questioned the brothers, and request a follow-up interview with Smollett. His lawyers say he feels “victimized” by reports that he played a role in the assault.</li>
<li>Feb. 17, 2019: Chicago police reach out to Smollett’s attorney saying they still want to interview him again because new information has “shifted” their investigation.</li>
<li>Feb. 19, 2019: Chicago’s top prosecutor, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, recuses herself from the investigation. Her office says the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution … to address potential questions of impartiality based upon familiarity with potential witnesses in the case.”</li>
<li>Feb. 20, 2019: Prosecutors charge Smollett with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report about the alleged attack.</li>
<li>March 7, 2019: A Cook County grand jury returns a 16-count indictment charging Smollett with falsely reporting an offense.</li>
<li>March 26, 2019: Smollett’s attorneys say charges alleging he lied to police have been dropped.</li>
<li>March 28, 2019: A city official says Chicago is seeking $130,000 from Smollett to cover the cost of the investigation into his reported beating, which police say was staged.</li>
<li>Aug. 23, 2019: Judge names former U.S. Attorney Dan Webb as special prosecutor to investigate why charges against Smollett were dropped.</li>
<li>Feb. 11, 2020: Webb says grand jury returns six-count indictment against Smollett, accusing him of lying to police.</li>
<li>Dec. 9, 2021: A jury convicts Smollett on five counts of disorderly conduct, and acquits him on a sixth count.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>This article has been expanded after publication to include additional information.</em></p>


Jussie Smollett Ordered Released From Jail After Serving Less Than A Week Of 5 Month Sentence Pending Appeal

<p>&#8220;Empire&#8221; costar Taraji P. Henson defended actor and convicted hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett via Instagram over the weekend, pleading for Smollett&#8217;s freedom and arguing that his apparent blacklisting from Hollywood is equivalent to being in prison.</p>
<p>The actress also invoked the murder of black teenager Emmitt Till, suggesting Smollett is innocent.</p>
<p>Back in December, the actor was found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-found-guilty-on-multiple-counts-in-hate-crime-hoax-case">guilty</a> on five counts of disorderly conduct in relation to his infamous hate crime hoax.</p>
<p>&#8220;I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime,&#8221; Henson started her post, captioning an image that says #FreeJussie.</p>
<p>&#8220;Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false,&#8221; she argued. &#8220;No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;He has already lost everything, EVERYTHING! To me as an artist not able to create that in itself is punishment enough,&#8221; Henson wrote. &#8220;He can’t get a job. No one in Hollywood will hire him and again as an artist who loves to create, that is prison.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;My prayer is that he is freed and put on house arrest and probation because in this case that would seem fair,&#8221; she closed the post. &#8220;Please <a class=" xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/freejussie/">#freejussie</a>.&#8221;</p>
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<p><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p>
<p>Smollett&#8217;s actress sister, Jurnee Smollett, said her brother was convicted and hit with five months of jail time not because he&#8217;s guilty, but because he&#8217;s black.</p>
<p>&#8220;Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of White Americans. Jussie is innocent,&#8221; she wrote via Instagram. &#8220;And…you don’t have to believe in his innocence to believe he should be free.<br />
<a class=" xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/freejussie/">#FreeJussie</a> <a class=" xil3i" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/stoplockingupourpeople/">#StopLockingUpOurPeople</a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>Jurnee captioned the same #FreeJussie photo as Henson.</p>
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<p>Back in January 2019, Smollett claimed he was targeted and attacked by apparent supporters of President Donald Trump in an anti-gay, anti-black hate crime. His alleged attackers, whom he allegedly described as white males who yelled “This is MAGA country,” were brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo. Notably, the brothers are both black men who knew the “Empire” star before the incident and have claimed Smollett orchestrated the “hoax.” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-all-top-democrats-tweets-about-jussie-amanda-prestigiacomo">The Daily Wire</a> detailed Smollett’s claim at the time:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Smollett contends he was targeted by two Trump supporters, who verbally and physically accosted him as he was walking home from a Subway sandwich shop in downtown Chicago on January 29. The actor says the men called him a “f*****” and a “n*****,” tied a noose around his neck, poured bleach on him, and kicked him in the ribs.</em></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-found-guilty-on-multiple-counts-in-hate-crime-hoax-case">Jussie Smollett Found Guilty On Multiple Counts In Hate Crime Hoax Case</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-can-rest-knowing-that-his-attacker-has-been-convicted-social-media-erupts-following-verdict">‘Jussie Smollett Can Rest Knowing That His Attacker Has Been Convicted’: Social Media Erupts Following Verdict</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/smollett-admits-on-stand-to-changing-description-of-attackers-from-white-to-pale-was-being-responsible">Smollett Admits On Stand To Changing Description Of ‘Attackers’ From ‘White’ To ‘Pale,’ Was Being ‘Responsible’</a></strong></p>


BET Awards 2021 – Arrivals

Costar Taraji P. Henson Wants Jussie Smollett ‘Free,’ Says Blacklisting From Hollywood Is ‘Prison,’ Invokes Emmett Till

<p>Convicted liar Jussie Smollett’s lawyers are demanding the actor be released from jail, claiming he is facing “vicious threats”—including a phone call that seems to allude to the case of a sodomized New York City man, according to a new report.</p>
<p>The former &#8220;Empire&#8221; actor&#8217;s legal team has filed a motion to win his release, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/jussie-smollett-emergency-release-filing-1321102/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rolling Stone</a> reported.</p>
<p>&#8220;One of Smollett’s siblings received the alarming call Friday morning on the number that was given as his emergency jail contact when he was taken into custody Thursday night following sentencing for his hate hoax conviction, a Smollett spokeswoman says,&#8221; the magazine said. &#8220;&#8216;I hope what they do to that guy in jail — here’s what they’re going to do, right. They’re going to take a broom handle, and take that little [expletive], shove it in there, and he’s gonna&#8217; go, [shrieking sound],&#8217; a man’s voice says in video of the call shared by Smollett’s team on Monday.&#8221;</p>
<p>The threat was apparently a reference to the 1997 police assault on Abner Louima in Brooklyn, &#8220;in which Louima was sodomized with a broken broomstick in the bathroom of the 70th precinct by Justin Volpe, the disgraced NYPD Officer now serving 30 years for the attack,&#8221; the mag said.</p>
<p>The motion comes a day after Smollett&#8217;s brother said the actor, who was sentenced to 150 days after lying about a hate crime, was moved to the psychiatric ward at the Cook County jail.</p>
<p>“Jussie is currently in a psych ward at the Cook County Jail,” Jocqui Smollett said in a video posted to Jussie&#8217;s Instagram, <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/03/jussie-smollett-psych-ward-cook-county-jail-brother-instagram-1234977231/">according</a> to Deadline. “What’s very concerning is that there was a note attached to his paperwork today and put on the front of his jail cell saying that he’s at risk of self-harm.”</p>
<p>After he was sentenced, Smollett yelled in the courtroom in an odd outburst. “I am innocent, and I am not suicidal” he repeatedly shouted as he was taken to jail on Thursday.</p>
<p>Famous inmates like Jeffrey Epstein and John McAfee both allegedly committed suicide while in jail, and Smollett appeared to be saying if something happened to him, he didn&#8217;t commit suicide.</p>
<p>Jocqui added about his brother: “I want to just make it clear to folks that he is in no way, shape, or form at risk of self-harm. And he wants to let folks know that he is very stable, he is very strong, he is very healthy, and ready to take on the challenge that ultimately has been put up against him.”</p>
<p>Smollett claimed in January 2019 that he was attacked in Chicago by two white men who yelled “This is MAGA country,” a reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”</p>
<p>The actor was indicted by a grand jury in Chicago on 16 felony counts after he allegedly lied to police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime. The actor said two men attacked him at 2 a.m. when he was walking home from a sandwich shop, poured what he believed to be bleach on him, and placed a rope around his neck.</p>
<p>Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx later announced that her office was dropping the case. Smollett was allowed to walk free after forfeiting his $10,000 bail and performing 16 hours of community service, to which Foxx said, “I believe this is a just outcome based on the circumstances.”</p>
<p>But new information brought the charges back to life, and after being convicted on five of six charges. Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, restitution of $120,106, and a fine of $25,000 on Thursday for his part in orchestrating a hate hoax.</p>
<p>“You’re just a charlatan, pretending to be a victim of a hate crime,” Judge James Linn said to Jussie Smollett during Thursday’s <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-was-late-to-his-own-sentencing-and-his-bodyguards-manhandled-a-reporter-on-the-way-in/">sentencing</a>. He added that the actor’s name “has “has become an adverb for ‘lying,’” and 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.”</p>
<p><em>Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent, and ran the Drudge Report from 2010 to 2015. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.</em></p>


US-NEWS-SMOLLETT-TB

Jussie Smollett’s Lawyers Demand Emergency Release After Family Reveals Threatening Call

<p>Jussie Smollett&#8217;s brother says the former &#8220;Empire&#8221; actor, who was sentenced to 150 days after lying about a hate attack, is in now being held in the psychiatric ward at the Cook County jail.</p>
<p>“Jussie is currently in a psych ward at the Cook County Jail,” Jocqui Smollett said in a video posted to Jussie&#8217;s Instagram, <a href="https://deadline.com/2022/03/jussie-smollett-psych-ward-cook-county-jail-brother-instagram-1234977231/">according</a> to Deadline. “What’s very concerning is that there was a note attached to his paperwork today and put on the front of his jail cell saying that he’s at risk of self-harm.”</p>
<p>After he was sentenced, Smollett yelled in the courtroom in an odd outburst. “I am innocent, and I am not suicidal” he repeatedly shouted as he was taken to jail on Thursday.</p>
<p>Famous inmates like Jeffrey Epstein and John McAfee both allegedly committed suicide while in jail, and Smollett appeared to be saying if something happened to him, he didn&#8217;t commit suicide.</p>
<p>Jocqui added about his brother: “I want to just make it clear to folks that he is in no way, shape, or form at risk of self-harm. And he wants to let folks know that he is very stable, he is very strong, he is very healthy, and ready to take on the challenge that ultimately has been put up against him.”</p>
<p>Smollett claimed in January 2019 that he was attacked by two white men who yelled “This is MAGA country,” a reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”</p>
<p>The actor was indicted by a grand jury in Chicago on 16 felony counts after he allegedly lied to police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime. The actor said two men attacked him at 2 a.m. when he was walking home from a sandwich shop, poured what he believed to be bleach on him, and placed a rope around his neck.</p>
<p>Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx later announced that her office was dropping the case. Smollett was allowed to walk free after forfeiting his $10,000 bail and performing 16 hours of community service, to which Foxx said, “I believe this is a just outcome based on the circumstances.”</p>
<p>Smollett later declared that the state’s attorney’s decision exonerated him.</p>
<p>“I want you to know that not for a moment was it in vain. I have been truthful and consistent on every level since day one. I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I’m accused of. This has been an incredibly difficult time. Honestly one of the worst of my entire life. But I am a man of faith and I am a man that has knowledge of my history and I would not bring my family, our lives or the movement through a fire like this, I just wouldn’t,” he said.</p>
<p>But new information brought the charges back to life, and after being convicted on five of six charges. Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, restitution of $120,106, and a fine of $25,000 on Thursday for his part in orchestrating a hate hoax.</p>
<p>“You’re just a charlatan, pretending to be a victim of a hate crime,” Judge James Linn said to Jussie Smollett during Thursday’s <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-was-late-to-his-own-sentencing-and-his-bodyguards-manhandled-a-reporter-on-the-way-in/">sentencing</a>. He added that the actor’s name “has “has become an adverb for ‘lying,’” and 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.”</p>
<p><em>Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent, and ran the Drudge Report from 2010 to 2015. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.</em></p>


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