Hollywood actor, Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150-day in prison for faking a hate crime against himself after he lied to the police about a racist and homophobic attack against him three years ago.
KanyiDaily recalls that in 2019, Jussie Smollett had told the police that while walking in downtown Chicago, he was attacked by two masked men who hurled homophobic and racial slurs at him, while declaring their support for former US president, Donald Trump.
However, investigations revealed that the “attackers” are two Nigerian brothers (Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo) who were reportedly paid by Smollett to stage the attack.
During the trial, the court heard from the two Nigerian-American brothers who insisted that Smollett orchestrated the attack himself and paid them $3,500 (£2,600) to stage the assault as a ploy to get public sympathy and boost his acting career.
Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who were prosecution witnesses, in their testimony, claimed Smollet gave them lines to yell, including “MAGA country,” a reference to ex-President, Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Smollett maintained his innocence and accused the two brothers of lying. He also claimed that the cheque issued to them was a payment for dietary and workout plans.
On November 9, 2021, a Chicago jury found Smollet guilty of five of the six charges of disorderly conduct and lying to the police, after a nine-hour deliberation.
Jussie Smollett Sentenced To Jail
Chicago judge, James Linn sentenced Smollett to 150 days in jail on Thursday, March 10, 2022, branding the actor a charlatan for staging a hate crime against himself while the nation struggled with wrenching issues of racial injustice.
After the judge announced his sentence, Smollett lowered his face mask and responded by defiantly maintaining his innocence and suggesting he could be killed in jail before being led from the courtroom.
The sentence and Smollett’s post-hearing outburst capped an hourslong hearing and more than three years of legal drama following Smollett’s claim that he had been the target of a racist and homophobic attack.
Smollett didn’t make a statement when offered the opportunity earlier in the afternoon, saying he was listening to his attorneys’ advice.
But after the Judge James Linn issued his sentencing decision, Smollett removed the face mask he wore throughout the hearing to proclaim himself innocent.
He also loudly insisted that he was not suicidal, suggesting that “if anything happens” in jail, he did not take his own life.
“If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years and the fears of the LGBT community,” Smollett said, standing up at the defense table as his lawyers and sheriff’s deputies surrounded him.
“Your Honor, I respect you and I respect the jury but I did not do this. And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”
As deputies led him from the courtroom, Smollett shouted out again, “I am innocent,” , as he raising his fist. “I could have said I am guilty a long time ago,” he yelled.
Before Smollett was led out of the courtroom, Judge James Linn told the actor that he wrote the script and picked the actors for the hoax, and that his premeditation for the act was an “aggravating factor” in the case.
“There’s a side of you that has this arrogance, and selfishness and narcissism that’s just disgraceful,” the judge said.
“You’re not a victim of a racial hate crime, you’re not a victim of a homophobic hate crime. You’re just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that’s shameful.”
The judge sentenced Smollett to 30 months of felony probation, with five months served in jail, and ordered that he pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago and a $25,000 fine.
KabyiDaily recalls that in April last year, the Nigerian brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo had also filed a defamation suit against Jussie Smollett’s lawyers with respect to the case.
