Capping off a bizarre three-year saga meant to inflame racial tensions and vilify Trump supporters, actor Jussie Smollett stunned a Chicago courtroom shouting that he was not going to kill himself behind bars after being sentenced to 150 days in jail Thursday for lying to police over a phony homophobic hate crime.
“I am not suicidal! And I am innocent!” Smollett defiantly cried out, insisting that if he dies in jail, it won’t be because he took his own life. Smollett was invited to speak before sentencing but declined.
Cook County Judge James Linn gave Smollett a lengthy, sharp rebuke calling him arrogant, selfish, and narcissistic. He also imposed a three-year probation and ordered fines and restitution for police overtime, totaling $145,126.
“The only thing I can find is that you really craved the attention. … You have another side to you that is incredibly arrogant, selfish, and narcissistic,” Linn added. He accused the press of giving him “the national pity party” he wanted. In the end, Smollett never wanted the case solved — only attention, the judge said.
Smollett arrived at his daylong sentencing hearing 10 minutes late with an entourage that included his 92-year-old grandmother. A scuffle ensued between his bodyguards and reporters before he entered the courthouse.
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During the hearing, his defense team argued that 13 errors were committed by judges and prosecutors, including the inability to question potential jurors for bias. Linn pushed back on this, saying he treated Smollett the same as other defendants, including those charged with murder.
“I’m happy to ask the questions that are relevant and helpful,” Linn responded. “I absolutely treated him the same as everybody else.”
Prosecutors discounted all of Smollett’s claims, praising the judge for a fair trial during a pandemic.
“He blamed the prosecutor, Your Honor specifically, the courtroom staff,” special prosecutor Sean Wieber argued. “He’s blamed the Cook County sheriffs, the entire Cook County judicial system, the Illinois Supreme Court, the media, political figures, witnesses at trial, and even blamed the jury itself.”
Linn said he found nothing in the case that was reversible and that Smollett had a fair trial.
“The only crime that was at play in this entire scenario was the false police report,” Linn said. “The problem Mr. Smollett has is what he said to the police is patently false.”
Smollett was convicted in December on five counts of felony disorderly conduct and acquitted on a sixth for telling police that he was assaulted by two Trump supporters who threw bleach on him and tied a noose around his neck. The former Empire actor said his attackers yelled, “This is MAGA country!” during the 2019 assault.
The plot quickly unraveled when Chicago police dedicated a large task force to the case and found two brothers who admitted they staged the attack. Smollett was also uncooperative in turning over his phone, and neighbors largely discounted his story, leading to his credibility problems.
Smollett has maintained his innocence, and high-profile members of the black community have rallied behind him, asking the judge for leniency. This included actors Samuel L. Jackson and Alfre Woodard and activist Jesse Jackson in letters written to the judge, which were read aloud in court.
“He has already paid a personal and professional price that few in real power have even for crimes against the health and safety of millions,” Woodard wrote. “Through it all, Jussie has stood like the good man I know him to be.”
Samuel L. Jackson wrote, “Please Judge Linn, in God’s name, please save this young man and allow him to be of service. Jussie Smollett is worth the risk and the investment.”
In an impact statement for the defense, Empire music director Richard Daniels said Smollett was the breakout music star on the show.
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“The impact he had as a celebrity and loving man was dramatic,” said Daniels, who attended various charity events with Smollett. “The charitable contributions he made in large sums of money [were] always with a loving heart and willingness to do good.”
