At the peak of his career, Jussie Smollett seemed to have a bright future ahead. However, he made a colossal mistake that drastically changed his life and career. Smollett, a well-known actor, was riding high when he decided to fake a hate crime in early 2019. He staged an attack, claiming it was racially and homophobically motivated, in an attempt to gain sympathy and attention. This scheme backfired spectacularly and led to severe consequences.
What Happened to Jussie Smollett?
The attack Smollett reported was eventually revealed to be a hoax. The men involved were actually his acquaintances whom he had hired to carry out the staged assault. Once the truth came out, Smollett’s career was severely damaged. He was dropped from the final season of Empire and hasn’t worked on any major projects since, except for a documentary about the incident and a film he directed himself.
What Is Jussie Smollett Doing Now?
Since the incident, Smollett has largely stayed out of the public eye, focusing on dealing with the legal fallout from his actions. Despite his efforts to return to Hollywood, his only notable recent project, The Lost Holliday, received poor reviews and didn’t gain much traction. The film, released in June 2024, features Smollett in a role that didn’t manage to revitalize his career, receiving a low IMDb rating of 4.2/10.
On the legal front, Smollett has been grappling with the consequences of his false police reports. He was convicted of five out of six counts of felony disorderly conduct. Although he has been trying to appeal the conviction for several years, the Illinois Supreme Court agreed to hear his latest appeal in March 2024. However, no official court date has been set yet. Even if his appeal is successful, it won’t erase the damage to his reputation but might help him avoid additional jail time.
