Jussie Smollett became a household name when, in order to extort money from the producers of Empire, he falsely accused himself of a racist and homophobic assault. He was convicted for his actions and sentenced to 150 days in prison and a $25,000 fine on Thursday. After the experienced judge sentenced him to 150 days in jail plus a $25,000 penalty, Smollett stood up in court and fought with the judge.
After the sentence was handed down, Smollett stood up and began shouting at the judge. He was furious to be sentenced to imprisonment for creating a bogus assault on himself in order to extort Fox with money for his work on Empire. “He’s profoundly egotistical, self-centered, and narcissistic,” Linn said of Smollett, who damaged his own career by staging the hateful attack.
Smollett raised his voice to argue with the judge when he said, “I am not suicidal. If I did this, then it means I stuck my fist in the fears of Black people for over 400 years. If anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself, and you must all know that.”
However, a sheriff’s deputy did his duty of escorting Smollett out of the courtroom and into one of the holding cells. When arrested, he shouted, “I am not suicidal. I am innocent.”
Smollett will be placed under suicide watch. Smolletts’ family was dissatisfied with the court’s decision. His brother Jocqui lamented to having been “very disappointed” by the judgment, while his sister Jazz called her brother’s case a miscarriage of justice.
After Smollett was removed from the courtroom, his family released an Instagram post in which they declared, “OUR BROTHER IS INNOCENT, AND WE WILL KEEP FIGHTING.”
According to Daily Mail, when sentencing Smollett, the judge had a lot of options. The possible sentences included three years in prison, 30 months of probation, community service, behavioral classes, compensation, and fines. Jail time and a large fine were selected by the court.
“I don’t think money motivated you at all,” stated Judge Linn. He said that Smollett was making $2 million per year as an actor on the Fox series, and that he staged the hate crime against himself to become more well-known – something he has achieved, albeit in an unanticipated manner.
“The only thing I can find is that you craved the attention,” Judge Linn stated. “You took some scabs off healing wounds. You ripped them apart. And for a while, it worked. You were throwing a national pity party for yourself.”
He continued, “The hypocrisy is just astounding. I believe that you did damage to actual hate crime victims. These are people who have a difficult time coming forward. There may be some trepidation. I don’t know if they are going to be accused of acting like you, pulling a stunt like you. I don’t know if first responders are going to be more hesitant. I hope it’s not the case.”
