Chicago, Illinois – Actor Jussie Smollett recently spoke out about a court overturning his conviction for allegedly staging a hate crime attack.
In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram on Friday, Smollett claimed the City of Chicago “set out to convince the public” of a false narrative that has “left a stain” on his character.
“These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear… They have received neither,” Smollett wrote.
Back in 2019, the actor, who is gay and Black, claimed he was attacked in the city by two masked men wearing MAGA hats who shouted slurs at him and placed a noose around his neck.
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After intense investigations, he was accused of having staged the assault by paying two Nigerian brothers $3,500 to carry it out, and convicted on 16 felony charges.
The charges were dropped a few months later, but several were later reinstated after a special prosecutor took over the case. Smollett was ultimately found guilty in December 2021 and sentenced to 150 days in prison.
But in November 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction on due process grounds.
Throughout the trial and in his post, Smollett has insisted he is innocent.
“Despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system,” he wrote, adding he must now “move forward.”
