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Actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced to five months in jail for the crime of faking a hate crime. Last year, the former Empire star was convicted of filing a false police report.
Smollet infamously claimed that he was a victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019. However, soon after his claims, and with digging from investigators, his story started getting shaky. Ultimately, a pair of brothers claimed Smollett orchestrated the whole thing, and although he still maintains his innocence, a jury agreed with prosecutors that it was all a hoax.
On Thursday (March 10), a Chicago judge sentence Smollett to 150 months in jail. Judge James B. Linn read Smollett the riot act. “There are people that are actual, genuine victims of hate crimes that you did damage to,” said the judge, per the New York Times.
But as all things Jussie Smollett have come to be in recent years, he delivered his own drama. Althought he didn’t address the court before his sentence, afterwards he did says, “I am not suicidal. I am not suicidal. I am innocent, and I’m not suicidal,” before being taken into custody while raising his right fist into the air. He also said he respect the judge’s decision but was adamant that if anything does happen to him in jail, it will not be self-harm.
We’re going to bet Smollett gets out early for good behavior. And, when is the Lifetime movie coming out?