‘Empire’ Star Jussie Smollett’s Case Granted An Appeal After Conviction For Faking A Hate Crime

On Tuesday, an Illinois court granted an appeal of the sentence of former Empire star Jussie Smollett, who staged a hate crime against himself in 2019. Smollet was sentenced to 150 days by Judge James Linn after being convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct.

Smollet’s alleged attack made headlines in early 2019, reporting to Chicago police that two hooded men physically attacked him while yelling racial and homophobic slurs. Smollett is black and identifies as a gay man.

Brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who played extras on Empire, claim Smollett paid them $4,000 to play the role of white supremacists who viciously attack him.

Smollett was initially charged with 16 felony charges of orchestrating a hate crime, which were dropped in 2020. A new indictment and trial began in 2021, where jurors found the actor guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct. “You took away a lot of resources from other places, from other real victims of real crimes, and you used up the police resources for your own benefit,” said Judge Linn while sentencing Smollett.

The Chicago-based First District Appellate Court will hear the appeal. If denied, Smollett will continue to serve his 150-day sentence. A hearing is expected in the coming weeks.