Hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett has once again repeated the debunked claim that he was randomly jumped during one snowy night in Chicago six years ago.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Smollett accused the city of Chicago working as part of a conspiracy to discredit his claim of being a victim of a hate crime.
“Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City Officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set an assault against myself. This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear,” Smollett wrote.
“These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear…They have received neither,” he continued.
In early 2019, the Empire actor claimed he fell victim to a hate crime on a cold winter’s night in Chicago at the hands of two men who derided him with homophobic slurs while yelling “this is MAGA country” as they tied a noose around his neck. Many in the media took Smollett’s story at face value until evidence revealed that he had hired two brothers from Nigeria to stage the attack, supposedly in an effort to boost his salary on the show.
After Smollett turned himself into police for the felony charge of filing a false police report, the situation took a turn for the worse when the charges against him were suddenly dropped by Chicago prosecutor Kim Foxx, prompting outrage from both the Chicago Police Department and Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In an obvious attempt to rectify the situation and regain city trust, a Chicago judge appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the way Smollett’s case was handled.
In 2022, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail after being tried and convicted for five counts of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. He was later sued by the city for $130,000 to cover the cost of his hoax investigation. Smollett settled the suit by agreeing to donate $60,000 to two Chicago-based charities. That was followed by the Illinois Supreme Court overturning his five felony charges, which Smollett says proves his innocence.
“However, despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system,” Smollett wrote. “I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family name with the truth.”
“To everyone who has supported me, thank you. Your prayers and belief in me mean more than words can properly express,” concluded. With Love & Respect, Jussie Smollett.”
The Illinois Supreme Court, however, clarified that they only overturned his conviction strictly on fifth amendment grounds due to Kim Foxx initially dropping the charges against him. In fact, special prosecutor Dan Webb said the ruling had “nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence.”
“The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial… or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct,” Webb stated.
