Actor Jussie Smollett has been found guilty on five of six counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false report to Chicago police saying he was the victim of a hate crime.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Smollett faked the attack, which took place nearly three years ago in January 2019.
The former Empire star initially reported he was attacked by two masked men, beaten, doused in bleach, and that he had a noose tied around his neck. He claimed his attackers yelled homophobic and racist slurs while shouting “This is MAGA country.”
Smollett initially received an outpouring of support from co-stars, Hollywood stars, and American politicians.
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Within about two weeks of the incident, police raided the home of brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, and compiled evidence that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to fake the crime. Smollett was subsequently fired from his job on the Fox TV series.
Smollett took to the stand in his own defense December 6, and claimed that he had sex and used drugs with one of the men he hired to help him stage the attack. He continued to maintain his innocence.
“There was no hoax,” Smollett told the court. “What happened to me, happened.”
Abimbola, for his part, testified, “[Jussie] wanted me to punch him but he wanted me to pull the punch so I didn’t hurt him and then he wanted me to tussle him and throw him to the ground and give him a bruise.”
“Then he wanted it to look like he was fighting back, so I was supposed to give him a chance to fight back and then eventually throw him to the ground and my brother would tie the noose around his neck and pour bleach on him.”
He also claimed Smollett showed him the location he wanted the attack to occur during a “dry run” two days later.
Absent any “smoking gun” evidence, the jury was left to weigh the credibility of each side of the story.
The panel of six men and six women deliberated for over nine hours on Wednesday and Thursday.
Sqwoah
A criminal, a loser and a narcissist
GentlemanCaller
Bye.
jayceecook
This is an excellent example of why putting your clients on the stand can be unpredictable and risky. It worked for that kid who killed a couple folks but it absolutely backfired for JS. I wonder if JS had not taken the stand and been so dismissive, combative, and downright disrespectful while doing so if he would have been found guilty?
I’m just glad this thing is close to finally ending. I’m sure he’ll appeal. Hopefully it gets rejected.
frapachino
You mean the kid that was protecting himself from a pedo and a some anarchists that were trying to kill him?
Bosch
@crapachino you mean the guy who tried to disarm a murdering teenager using his skateboard, and paid for it with his life?
Heywood Jablowme
“Jury reaches verdict in Jussie Smollett trial”
Talk about a clickbait headline! If other news sites start doing this:
– “Winner declared in close election”
– “Dictator invades neighboring country”
– “Team wins Super Bowl”
redzebra1
AT LAST! JUSTICE for ONCE! And if he appeals I hope it is rejected. Now LOCK HIM UP!
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
He always came off to me as the histrionic type and he proved it. Common sense should have told him to plead guilty a long time ago. He had to have known there was no way out and the only hope for a future in entertainment was to blame it all on the drugs and sex. Now its doubtful that he would get an offer to guest appear as an extra bottom an onlyfans interracial ganging vid. Despite what I said at first about this case a few years ago I now feel sorry for him.
inbama
Unless we’re talking serious mental illness, the whole thing made no sense. He was a successful actor with a continuing role in a popular series. He had no need of such “publicity.”
Just as sad to me is watching gay-haters and racists taking so much pleasure in the whole mess.
storm45701
@inbama: The rumor was that Smollett wanted a pay raise and to increase his star power. He apparently took the PR game too far.
Heywood Jablowme
Weird thing is, he STILL ended up blaming the drugs and sex. That was part of his “defense” at trial. Even though he wasn’t charged with a drug crime (and nobody had even mentioned the subject) he volunteered that he was doing illegal drugs and really seems to have thought the jurors would find that sympathetic.
He’s like one of Bugs Bunny’s pals who paints himself into a corner. A black Elmer Fudd!
frapachino
Idiot racists do not think rationally.
edwardnvirginia
It is amazing to know these truths:
to what evil lengths celebrities will go to be ‘celebrated’; but since celebrity is often their own skill or talent or marketable asset making it ‘all about me’ is their moneymaker
that queer groups, Democratic electeds, and others were so quick to believe and endorse such a stupid lie; what other stupid lies are they also pitching (e.g. that unborn babies can be cut apart alive and it doesn’t matter? that rural people are all hicks, rednecks, White/trailer trash, ‘deplorables’, etc despite that facts that rural people have been providing almost all city snots’ food, and energy, and raw materials, etc FOREVER!, etc)
that NO queer groups, or Dem elected are now DENOUNCING that Smug-gette RACISTLY calls the very dark skinned Africans ‘White’, then, he called them ‘pale’, and then he called them ‘homophobes’ … shouldn’t we all be denouncing this Smug-gette creep for defaming – with RACIST LIES – these beautiful dark black African bodied persons?
Cam
@edwardnvirginia
(Yawn), the right wing troll account uses any excuse to try to cry ad whine about “The gays” and “The Democrats”.
Funny, I don’t see any Dem politicians out in front of the court house screeming for his innocence. I did however see a bunch of Republican politicians voting to support overturning a legal vote and supporting the domestic terrorists who attacked the U.S. Capital.
As always, your troll game is sad and weak.
Mr. Stadnick
blah blah blah
Kangol2
oddward, you should have stopped after the first letter. As usual, your racist claptrap blares through!
Bosch
“that rural people are all hicks, rednecks, White/trailer trash, ‘deplorables’”
No one says this. You’re just using it as a lame excuse to attack “queer groups and dem electeds”.
You’re doing exactly the thing you’re pretending to be outraged about.
edwardnvirginia
Responding to the responses:
‘right wing troll account’ …. nope, queer socialist who was advocating, agitating, planning and acting for human rights for more almost 50 years … so your comments are BS!
‘blah blah blah’ …. yes, I do think and write too much …. so your comments are not BS but a valid impression … however you fail to regard the explicitly RACIST and implicitly HOMOPHOBIC argument that Smug-ette is making AGAINST VERY DARK BLACK BODIED AFRICANS!
‘racist clap trap’ …. sorry, that is BS … see above. Smug-etter LIED about VERY DARK BLACK BODIED AFRICANS in order to protect himself and to harm them: THAT IS VERY VERY VERY RACIST!
and what about Dem bigots against rural communities, issues, and values? … no Honey Poo Poo! THAT IS A REAL THANG! here is Virginia Dems lost their big elections this Fall – the Governor, the Lt Gov, the Attorney General AND the House of Delegates – ALL the big elections! – in large part because they has so disgusted rural voters that rural voters voted in astonishingly high numbers! and proportions! Democrat leaders in Virginia have almost nothing to say respectful of and important to rural voters!
So, there you go, kitty kats. You can either learn and change or sit on the couch and lick your kitty kat arseholes … so kitties luv to do.
Jim
Guilty! I’m shocked!
Unless he owns up to what he did, pays the city what it cost for his stunt, the book should be thrown at him for making light of discrimination and hate crimes.
Chrisk
Yeah, it really does hurt any future gay bashing claims. This shithead only cares about his own narcissi tic ambitions.
lou lou de la falaise
Why oh why did this guy do this? What a jerk.
Cam
I can’t believe this took 3 years.
Kangol2
He detonated his acting and singing career, but the explanation still doesn’t make sense to me. Why would anyone think staging an attack like this would get them more money from producers, etc.? His boss was a Black gay man who was quite fond of him and gave him not only one of the most high profile roles on the show, but also agreed to the music deal that would make him even more money. His coworkers also strongly supported him before this. People actually were streaming some of his songs off the show. I attribute his inability to apologize and ask for forgiveness to mental illness. It’s kind of sociopathic not to be able to admit culpability in what was clearly a disastrous hoax, so I hope he gets some of the mental help he badly needs. His infamy will probably sink the film he directed, which is actually very good.
frapachino
Mental illness? No he’s just your garden variety racist!
frapachino
It’s always satisfying to see a racist go down, buh buh by racist.
Mack
Spoken like the true racist and homophobe you are.
Bosch
I hope you hate white racists just as much