Former 'Empire' Star, Jussie Smollett, Sentenced to 150 days in Jail for Lying to Police in Hate Crime Hoax

Cook County Sheriff's Office

More than four years after Jussie Smollett, 39, faked a racist and homophobic attack against himself that polarized the nation, the former "Empire" actor and R&B singer has been sentenced for his crimes.

Thursday, Cook County Judge James Linn called Smollett, arrogant and selfish in a nearly 30-minute speech before sentencing him to five months in jail for lying to Chicago police.

"There's a side of you that has this arrogance, and selfishness and narcissism that's just disgraceful," Linn said. "You're not a victim of a racial hate crime, you're not a victim of a homophobic hate crime. You're just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that's shameful."

In addition to the jail time, which was scheduled to begin immediately after sentencing, Smollet was given 30 months of felony probation and ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago. He also was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine for making false reports to police that he was the victim of a hate crime.

Following the judgment, a visibly agitated Smollet, removed the mask he had been wearing throughout the proceeding and declared his innocence.

Jussie Smollett after the sentencing: “I am not suicidal. If anything happens to me when I go in there, you must all know that.” pic.twitter.com/xe2wYpQJ4O

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 11, 2022

"If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years and the fears of the LGBT community. Your honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this," he pleaded to Linn, before turning to the court. "And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that."

The Black and gay actor reported to police in January 2019 that two men wearing ski masks beat him, put a noose around his neck and hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him on a dark Chicago Street before he managed to fight them off. Smollett's attack made international headlines, sparked a debate on racism that reached the White House and was the catalyst for a manhunt in Chicago that cost the city $130,000.

His story began to unravel, however, when brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, revealed to investigators that Smollett paid them $3,500 to carry out the attack, alleging that he was upset that a threatening letter sent to the "Empire" studio had not been taken more seriously.

Both brothers testified in his trial in December 2021. Olabinjo Osundairo said Smollett told him that he'd received hate mail at the TV studio in Chicago "and he had this crazy idea of having two MAGA supporters attack him," a reference to then-President Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again." Osundairo believed the plan was to publicize the attack on social media, not to involve police, he said.

The jury convicted him on five counts of disorderly conduct — for each separate time he was charged with lying to police in the days after the alleged attack.

As he was being led from the courtroom and taken into custody, Smollett proclaimed his innocence again and raised a fist in the air.

Major League Soccer Reaches a Deal to support Black Banks, Hoping to Help Close the Racial Wealth Gap

Major League Soccer (MLS) and National Blank Bank Foundation (NBBF) leaders join with Dr. Bernice A. King to announce MLS’s historic $25 million transaction with Black-owned banks across the country. L to R: NBBF Co-Founder Brandon Comer; Black Players For Change Founder and MLS veteran Quincy Amarikwa; King Center CEO Dr. Bernice A. King; MLS Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Sola Winley; NBBF Co-Founder Ashley Bell.

MLS Will Leverage Historic $25 Million Loan With Black Banks

Major League Soccer is attempting to do its part to help close the racial wealth gap.

Thursday, the league announced a partnership with the nonprofit National Black Bank Foundation (NBBF). Through it, the league will leverage a $25 million loan with eight Black banks.

According to MLS, the historic deal would mark the first time any sports league has participated in a major commercial transaction exclusively with Black-owned banks.

"Major League Soccer's partnership with the National Black Bank Foundation is a tangible step in the efforts to close the racial economic gap in the United States, and it's the right business decision for us," MLS Commissioner said Don Garber of the reasoning behind the move in a statement. 

"As a league, we continue to increase our initiatives in support of racial justice. In order to make a genuine impact, economic justice must be part of the equation. This transaction with a syndicate of community-focused Black banks is an important measure, and it is our hope this will raise awareness of the importance of Black-owned banks and their impact on the economy."

Dr. Bernice A. King, National Black Bank Foundation board member and King Center CEO, added, "I brought MLS and NBBF together because I saw an opportunity to create a partnership with the power to transform lives in Black communities and change hearts and minds throughout our nation. This deal undoubtedly marks an important moment in the continuing struggle for civil rights in the United States."

According to the Federal Reserve, the Black-white economic gap in the United States has remained virtually untouched since the Civil Rights Movement. Historical efforts by Black families to escape the continuum of poverty by building intergenerational wealth, primarily through homeownership and small business entrepreneurship, have been thwarted by racialized credit access. In 2020, lenders denied Black mortgage applicants at a rate 84% higher than white borrowers.

The terms of the loan have yet to be disclosed, but it is known the interest and fees will be paid in advance, creating what's called Tier 1 capital — which the league says will almost immediately allow the banks to offer more loans and lines of credit in Black and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Chris Brown Rape Accuser Loses Lawyers After Incriminating Texts Found on Phone

Photo by Francesco Carrozzini

Chris Brown is feeling vindicated after the sexual assault case against him filed by an unknown woman, began to fall apart Wednesday, nearly as quickly as his career briefly did in 2009, when he pled guilty to the felony assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna.

Lawyers representing the woman, known only as Jane Doe in court proceedings, who filed a lawsuit in South Florida against the R&B superstar alleging he drugged and raped her on Diddy's Miami Beach-based yacht, announced they are recusing themselves from the case.

The news followed the release of several incriminating texts recovered from the woman's phone by Miami Beach Police during their investigation.

George Vrabeck told Rolling Stone he and his co-counsel, Ariel Mitchell, will no longer represent the plaintiff in the sex assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence lawsuit that was filed against Brown, 32, on Jan. 28 due to unspecified "information" obtained from police last Thursday.

"We are very grateful that the Miami Beach Police Department brought this to our attention. They did a great job," George Vrabeck said. "We were not made aware that the information existed (prior to filing). It precludes us from going forward for a number of reasons."

He added, "It's not a comment on whether an assault happened or not, but it precludes us from going forward."

While Miami Beach Police declined to comment on the matter, Brown, who has long denied the allegations, had a lot to say.

Praying for my brother @chrisbrown “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities”Ephesians 6:12 🙏🏾 The enemy stays busy… ‘You Were The Best ---- I’ve Had’: Case Of Woman Who Said Chris Brown Drugged https://t.co/dzhhXVqqpG

— Nick Cannon (@NickCannon) March 8, 2022

He took to social media to share months of text, voicemails and images sent by the woman beginning shortly after the alleged incident — including a voicemail dated Aug. 23, 2021, in which she pleads to see him again.

"Well, you're giving me mixed signals. You're like reading my messages and stuff and you haven't blocked me yet so I'm guessing you don't hate me," the accuser says in the audio clip posted on Brown's Instagram Story. "I just wanna see you again, I mean, you just answered the phone and then you just hung up. Like, just let me know. Like, if you want me to leave you alone I definitely will, but I really just want to f—k with you again."

Brown said his legal team will be taking action against the woman who sued him and made a public plea to the media.

#ChrisBrown's text messages leaked! The singer's alleged victim's allegations start to crumble after photos were revealed. #RadarExclusive
https://t.co/7cWIyjYfCF

— Radar Online (@radar_online) March 8, 2022

"No more dragging me through the mud," he wrote on social media. "CLEARLY YOU CAN ALL SEE THE [blue cap emoji]. Now let's see if the media will keep that same energy they had trying to destroy me, to Run the real story. Me and my team are taking legal action on this situation. You don't play with people lives like that. THX TEAM BREEZY."