In recent years, hate crimes have been at an all time high. Accordingly, faking a hate crime is extremely rare, if not unheard of. As such, Jussie Smollett’s alleged hate crime hoax was one of the most shocking scandals to have erupted in Hollywood.
Despite being a talented and promising young actor, Smollett was accused of staging his own hate crime, reportedly as a means of achieving notoriety. The “Empire” star alleged in 2019 that he had been the victim of an assault by Donald Trump supporters. Discussing the incident with ABC News, he claimed that he was on his way to buy groceries in Chicago when two men, who apparently recognized him from “Empire,” began uttering racist and homophobic slurs. Smollett claimed his attackers then tied a noose around his neck and poured a chemical substance all over him.
However, police soon began to spot holes in the actor’s story and it emerged that he had likely been lying. Subsequently, he was charged with filing a false police report. Brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo said that Smollett hired them to stage the attack, though the actor denied the claims, per CNN.
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In 2021, Smollett was found guilty of staging the crime and was sentenced to 150 days in jail. He maintains that he did not lie about the hate crime. Appearing in a 2023 Fox Nation documentary (via the Daily Mail) on the apparent hoax, the Osundairo brothers criticized Smollett for failing to take responsibility for his actions.
If you or a loved one has experienced a hate crime, contact the VictimConnect Hotline by phone at 1-855-4-VICTIM or by chat for more information or assistance in locating services to help. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
