Jussie Smollett Calls Out Chicago Officials as He Rebuilds Career

Chicago, IL — Jussie Smollett, the former star of the television series ‘Empire,’ is speaking out about his controversial 2019 hate crime case, calling Chicago officials the true perpetrators. As he seeks to revamp his career as an actor and musician, Smollett asserts he was framed by authorities and the city’s former mayor, Rahm Emanuel.

In a recent interview, Smollett named the individuals he holds responsible for his troubles. ‘The villains are the two people who assaulted me, the Chicago Police Department, and, if I may be so brave, the mayor,’ he stated. Smollett’s comments come in the wake of his new documentary, which will stream on August 22 and features his side of the story.

Smollett claims that while he reported a hate crime where two masked assailants hurled racial slurs and assaulted him, the narrative shifted when the police accused him of faking the attack. ‘Could it be that they had just found out about the missing minutes and the missing tape from the murder of Laquan McDonald?’ he asked, suggesting a conspiracy to distract the public from serious police misconduct.

After the allegations against him escalated, including statements from two Nigerian brothers who claimed they assisted him in staging the attack, his career suffered significantly. Although the charges were dropped in 2019, they were later refiled, leading to a conviction in 2021, which the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a year later for a technicality.

Now, Smollett remains adamant about his story. ‘I have nothing to gain from this,’ he said. ‘Every single other person’s story has changed multiple times. Mine has never.’

Despite the controversies, Smollett has been pushing forward in his artistic ventures. He recently signed a new deal with Rowdy Records and released a lead single titled ‘Break Out’ on August 12, with his full album scheduled for a late September release. He is also participating in the upcoming season of the reality show ‘Special Forces,’ which will premiere on September 25.

Additionally, Smollett directed and starred in a family drama titled ‘The Lost Holliday,’ which premiered on Tubi on August 17 and garnered 800,000 views in just 72 hours. He acknowledges the modest nature of these achievements compared to his previous rise in Hollywood but remains optimistic.

As he navigates his career revival, Smollett grapples with how he is perceived by the public. ‘I’m still insecure when I meet people for the first time,’ he admits. ‘I don’t know if they are thinking that I’m this trash person who did something that I didn’t do, or if they see me as a good person who got a raw deal.’

Smollett continues to maintain his innocence while his past looms large over his present. He hopes that through his new projects, he can shift the narrative surrounding his story.