Former ‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett to be sentenced March 10 for lying to police about homophobic attack
Actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted of faking a homophobic and racist attack on himself, will be sentenced on March 10, a judge said Thursday.
Cook County Judge James Linn held the virtual hearing via Zoom from Chicago, while Smollett appeared from New York.
In December, a jury found the former “Empire” star guilty on five counts of disorderly conduct, which is a Class 4 felony and punishable by up to three years in prison.
He was acquitted on a sixth count.
In January 2019, Smollett told Chicago police that he had been attacked by two brothers, who hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him.
He also claimed that his alleged attackers put a rope around his neck, though there were no witnesses or video to back his story.
The openly gay actor was later accused of paying the men to stage the fake attack on him.
During the trial, in December 2021, the two brothers testified that the actor paid them $3,500 for the fake attack, and also told them to yell lines such as “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Smollett has maintained his innocence, telling the court that “there was no hoax on my part.” He also called brothers Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo “liars.”
