The Jussie Smollett hoax case has taken another sharp and surprising turn.
The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the Empire the actor’s conviction on charges that he staged a homophobic and racist attack against himself outside a Subway restaurant in Chicago in 2019 and then lied about it to police.
The court ruled that Smollett should not have been charged a second time for the same incident after the initial charges against him were dismissed in an agreement with Cook County prosecutors.
“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it was unjust,” the ruling said. One criminal case would be a ruling by this court that the state had no obligation to honor agreements on which people have harmfully relied.”
According to the Associated Press, the ruling did not address the validity of Smollett’s claim of innocence. It did cite Bill Cosby’s case, calling it a case in which the public also had “strong interest” and that involved “enforcing a prosecutorial commitment not to prosecute.”
Smollett, who is black and gay, alleged that two men shouted homophobic and racist slurs, splashed him with bleach, put a rope around his neck and attacked him on a city street. He claimed someone said, “This is MAGA country.” There was a high-profile search for the suspects, during which two brothers, Abimbola “Bola” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, were detained. Prosecutors later alleged that Smollett staged the attack and paid the Osundairos, who were acquaintances of the actor.
Smollett was jailed at one point, but after six days of a 150-day sentence in 2022, he was released pending his appeal, which was filed in 2023, in the bizarre five-year legal saga. Here are the memorable twists…
Timeline of the Smollett case
January 22, 2019: Smollett received a racist and homophobic threatening letter at the studio in Chicago, where Empire included. On the show he played gay musician Jamal Lyon.
January 29, 2019: Smollett reported to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack at 2 a.m. while picking up food in the frigid Chicago weather. He was photographed still wearing the noose he claimed the attacker had put on him. He received widespread public support for the alleged hate crime.
February 13, 2019: Chicago police took the Osundairos into custody upon their return from a trip to Nigeria and searched their apartment. It was determined that the brothers knew Smollett, and they were released.
February 15, 2019: As doubts arose about his story, Smollett granted an interview to Robin Roberts Good morning America. He said he was devastated that there was skepticism about his story. Roberts later said there were “red flags” during their sit-down.
February 16, 2019: Police announced that their investigation, on which they had spent more than $130,000, had “shifted” and that they wanted another interview with Smollett.
February 20, 2019: After Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx recused himself from the investigation, prosecutors charged Smollett with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. A Chicago Police spokesman said Smollett staged the attack because he was unhappy with his paycheck Empire and thought publicity would boost his contract negotiations. They claimed they had a $3,500 check that Smollett used to pay the Osundairos, whom he knew. They obtained surveillance video showing the brothers purchasing masks and rope, as well as video of Smollett as the brothers did what they believed was a dry run of the attack two days earlier.
February 21, 2019: Smollett was booked and bailed out.
Smollett’s booking photo after reporting to the Chicago Police Department on February 21, 2019. (Chicago Police Department via Getty Images)
March 7, 2019: A Cook County grand jury returned a 16-count indictment charging Smollett with disorderly conduct.
March 26, 2019: The indictment against Smollett, which was dismissed Empirewere abruptly deleted. Prosecutors — who did not provide a detailed explanation for why they abandoned the case — said they still believe Smollett faked the attack. Smollett, who maintained his innocence, agreed to let the city keep his $10,000 bond and completed 16 hours of community service. He was not supposed to apologize, fueling public anger over his case, including from the mayor and the Chicago Police Department.
Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Court building after charges against him were dropped on March 26, 2019. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
April 11, 2019: Smollett was sued by the city of Chicago to collect money spent on the investigation.
August 23, 2019: A special prosecutor, Daniel K. Webb, is appointed to investigate why prosecutors abruptly dropped charges against Smollett.
November 19, 2019: Smollett sues the city of Chicago for “humiliation” and “emotional distress.”
February 11, 2020: A grand jury returned a new six-count indictment against the actor.
February 24, 2020: Smollett appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the new disorderly conduct charges and was released.
Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse on February 24, 2020, after pleading not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct in a new criminal case. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
June 12, 2020: Smollett tried to have the case dismissed, citing double jeopardy, but a judge ruled against him.
November 29, 2021: Smollet’s trial begins. At the trial, the Osundario brothers testified against him, and Smollett testified in his own defense.
December 9, 2021: He was found guilty of five of six disorderly conduct charges for lying to police.
Smollett is taken into custody during his sentencing hearing on March 10, 2022. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
March 10, 2022: Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago and pay a $25,000 fine. At the ruling, his lawyers read letters of support from Alfre Woodard and Samuel L. Jackson, among others. Smollett was dramatically taken into custody as he shouted, “I’m not suicidal.”
Smollett’s photo from Cook County jail booking as he began his sentence in Chicago on March 10, 2022. (Cook County Sheriff’s Office/Handout via Reuters)
March 16, 2022: He was released from prison after just six days pending his appeal.
Smollett (light mask) will be released from the Cook County Department of Corrections Detention Center on March 16, 2022. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
March 2, 2023: Smollett’s legal team files an appeal. They argued that the judge — who berated Smollett for 30 minutes during sentencing, calling him “very arrogant,” “selfish” and “narcissistic” — made mistakes, that the sentence was excessive and that Smollett’s second prosecution should have are excluded. according to the ‘double jeopardy’ principle. The appeal should have been filed months earlier, but they were granted five extensions.
October 19, 2023: Smollett, still out of prison pending an appeal, entered outpatient rehab to deal with his “extremely difficult past few years.”
March 13, 2024: The Osundairo brothers give their first interview in Fox Nation’s five-part docuseries Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax. They claimed Bola – a Empire extra – befriended Smollett. They went to clubs and a gay bathhouse together, watched TV at Smollett’s apartment, and Bola helped train Smollett and arranged things for the star, including marijuana. Bola claimed that Smollett asked him to beat him up and yell profanities at him in a plan that Smollett outlined step by step. He agreed because he felt “indebted” to Smollett for giving him screen time Empire. The brothers said they would get $3,500 and then another $500 later.
September 17, 2024: The Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments for Smollett’s appeal.
September 28, 2024: Smollett, who has continued to work and direct the 2021 film B-boy bluesgave a rare interview to People, maintaining his innocence, saying “I was numb” and thinking there was “no way” the public would believe “a stupid rumor” created by “haters” that he staged the attack had put. before his call, he said he would not dwell on the past. “I have to move forward,” he said. “I have to.”
November 21, 2024: Illinois Supreme Court rules that Smollett’s rights were violated when the special prosecutor filed charges because the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office previously dropped them. His case was overturned.
