Actor Jussie Smollett’s criminal trial for allegedly faking a hate crime in 2019 is set to begin on Monday after a three-year delay.
Smollett claimed that he was assaulted by two men with an allegiance to former President Donald Trump in January 2019. He said that they attacked him in the middle of the night and tied a noose around his neck while making anti-gay and racist remarks.
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Investigators said they found that many of the key details surrounding Smollett’s claims were fabricated. Smollett is being tried for six counts of disorderly conduct for making false reports to police, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Smollett’s team says that he has been unfairly prejudged to be guilty. Smollett stands by his original account of events.
The trial has been delayed due to several obstacles, including the charges being dropped and refiled, an investigation into how Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx dealt with the initial investigation, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The trial will begin with jury selection and could be wrapped up in a matter of days, according to a court official.
The criminal complaint against Smollett alleges that the actor hired his personal trainer, Abimbola Osundairo, and his brother Olabinjo to cooperate in a scheme to stage the assault on Smollett, which ostensibly took place around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29, 2019.
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Smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report in February 2019. The city of Chicago also launched a civil suit against Smollett, citing extensive costs for investigating an allegedly false report. The civil case has been put on hold pending the verdict from the criminal trial, a Chicago official said.
The actor was removed from the hit show Empire following the charges.
