December 10, 2021 | Sex & Society

Jussie Smollett found guilty of faking hate crime

Yesterday, former Empire actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty of staging an anti-gay, racist attack on himself.

Smollett opened up about being gay back in 2015, after being outed by co-star Malik Yoba. At the time, he said he was never in the closet, but was just a very private individual.

Fast forward to 2019, and Smollett was once again in the news. This time, he was claiming to have been the victim of a racist, homophobic assault. He said he was attacked by two men, with a noose placed around his neck. He initially described his attackers as white men wearing MAGA hats, but later edited his report to clarify the men were "pale."

His story quickly raised the suspicion of authorities. Two men involved in the attack were actually black, and turned out to be acquaintances of Smollett. There was also increasing evidence that he had planned the attack with the two men, scoped out the area where it took place beforehand, and paid them $3,500.

Smollett was charged with six counts of disorderly conduct for lying to the police. Yesterday, he was found guilty on five of the charges.

Special prosecutor Dan Webb said Smollett had "wreaked havoc here in the city for weeks on end for no reason whatsoever," then compounded the problem by lying under oath to the jury.

He will be sentenced early in 2022. Although he faces up to three years in prison, he will most likely get probation and community service.

Because he still maintains his innocence, we may never know why he did it. One thing is certain: his future in Hollywood is pretty much over.