Jussie Smollett Found Guilty of Staging Attacks Against Himself

It was bound to happen sooner or later. In the politically charged, burn-n-loot, riots par the course, BLM-charged atmosphere of 2019, someone got carried away and attempted to take advantage of their own skin color and gain publicity from it. 

Except he took it too far and got caught. 

Jussie Smollett, a gay, black actor and singer best known for his role on the TV show Empire, filed a police report stating he was attacked by Trump supporters on January 29, 2019. He claimed it was a hate crime rooted in homophobia and racism. He sought to use the incident to take advantage of public concern with the rise of hate crimes and persistent racism to gain publicity for himself. 

Smollett was later charged with six counts of disorderly conduct, which encompasses everything from making prank 911 calls to debt collectors placing harassing calls. He was charged with one count for each time he told the police he was the victim of the attack. The police repeatedly asked him if his story was true, giving him opportunities to tell the truth and prevent charges from being pressed, but each time he doubled down on his false version. 

The prosecutors said Smollett had hired two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, to stage an attack with specific instructions. He wanted them to punch him hard enough to leave a bruise but not hard enough to cause serious injury, pour bleach on his clothing and place a rope around his neck like a noose. 

The two brothers testified at Smollett’s trial before a 12-person jury. Their stories were also checked out and verified by police before the trial. 

On December 9^th, 39-year-old Smollett was found guilty by a jury in Chicago of five of the six counts of disorderly conduct. They are Class 4 felonies, which are some of the least serious felonies in Illinois. Convictions can carry a prison sentence of up to three years. 

But Smollett’s lack of criminal history, combined with the fact that no one actually got hurt, make it unlikely that he will serve time behind bars. The judge will probably sentence him to probation and maybe community service. 

Smollett will have plenty of time to devote to court-ordered community service, because his court drama and subsequent conviction just ended any future career he hoped to have in the entertainment industry. His case wound up being high-profile and was widely covered by the media, so his reputation will now be centered around his lying about being the victim of a hate crime rather than any acting or singing talent he may have possessed. 

Moral of the story: False crime doesn’t pay. It’s better to stick to the truth and develop an actual skill if you want more publicity.