Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett
Smollett at the 2016 PaleyFest
Born (1982-06-21) June 21, 1982 (age 42)
Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
Years active1991–1995; 2009–present
RelativesJurnee Smollett (sister)
Jake Smollett (brother)

Jussie Smollett (/ˈdʒʌsi sməlˈɛt/, born June 21, 1982)[1] is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a child actor in 1991 debuting in The Mighty Ducks (1992). From 2015 to 2019, Smollett portrayed musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire.

In January 2019, Smollett staged a fake hate crime against himself in Chicago and later made false police reports regarding the incident. In December 2021, Smollett was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct;[2] he was sentenced in March 2022 to 150 days in county jail.[3] He was released 6 days later on bond while his case was on appeal.[4] On December 1, 2023, Smollett's appeal was denied by the Illinois Appellate Court in a 2–1 decision, and Smollett will be required to complete his 150-day sentence.[5] In March 2024, the Supreme Court of Illinois announced that it would hear an appeal by Smollett into his conviction, although no date was set for a hearing.[6]

  1. ^ "Celebrity birthdays for the week of June 21–27". ABC News. Associated Press. June 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2021. June 21: [...] Actor Jussie Smollett ("Empire") is 38.
  2. ^ O'Brien, Brendan (December 10, 2021). "Actor Jussie Smollett found guilty of staging fake hate crime". Reuters. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation". WGN-TV. March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference jimenez was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Illinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett's convictions and jail sentence". Associated Press News. December 2023.
  6. ^ O'Connor, John (March 27, 2024). "Illinois Supreme Court to hear actor Jussie Smollett appeal of conviction for staging racist attack". Associated Press News. Retrieved April 9, 2024.