Illinois – It’s been a long, dramatic road for Jussie Smollett, the former Empire star accused of staging a hate crime in Chicago back in 2019. But in a major twist, the Illinois Supreme Court has decided to throw out his conviction, saying the whole case was mishandled.
Here’s what happened: Back in January 2019, Smollett told Chicago police he was the victim of a horrifying hate crime. He claimed he was attacked because he’s Black and gay. The story grabbed headlines everywhere, and people were outraged. But soon after, the Chicago Police Department accused Smollett of making the whole thing up, saying he paid two brothers, Ola and Abimbola Osundairo, to fake the attack as a publicity stunt.
Smollett was arrested, faced a whopping 16 charges, and then, in a surprising move, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped all the charges. They struck a deal: Smollett would give up his $10,000 bond and do some community service, and the case would go away. It seemed like the end—until it wasn’t.
Fast forward to 2020. A special prosecutor, Dan Webb, reopened the case and put Smollett on trial again. This time, Smollett was convicted on five felony counts of lying to police and sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation. But his legal team didn’t stop fighting.
Now, in 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that Smollett should never have been charged again after that first deal. The judges agreed that once an agreement is made, it has to be honored—no take-backs. They called the whole situation a big public spectacle and said reopening the case was a bad look for the justice system.
Dan Webb, the special prosecutor, wasn’t happy. He argued the ruling wasn’t about Smollett’s innocence but a legal technicality. Smollett’s attorney, Nenye Uche, fired back, calling the whole case unfair and claiming there was never any solid proof against his client.
Smollett, for his part, has always maintained he’s innocent. During his trial, he insisted the attack wasn’t staged and that he really was targeted that night. He even testified about his complicated relationship with one of the Osundairo brothers, saying they were friends who sometimes partied together.
The brothers told a different story. They said Smollett paid them $3,500 to stage the attack and even coached them on how to make it look believable. Smollett’s defense claimed the brothers were just trying to cash in on his fame.
For now, Smollett is breathing a sigh of relief. His lawyer says he’s ready to move on with his life, but the case has left a lasting mark on his career and reputation. What started as a headline-grabbing accusation turned into years of courtroom drama, legal debates, and public scrutiny. Whether people believe Smollett or not, one thing is clear: this saga isn’t something Hollywood—or the public—will forget anytime soon.
Leave a Reply