Jussie Smollett Responds In First Post-Jail Interview To People Who Say He’s Guilty Of 2020 Hoax

Jussie Smollett recently opened up on Sway In The Morning about the public ridicule he has experienced over the last three years. In 2020, the actor pled not guilty to allegations that he staged a homophobic, racist attack on himself in Chicago and reported to police that it was carried out by MAGA supporters.

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Smollett told Sway that he was grateful for the experience, even though he maintains that he was an actual victim of a hate crime. “It’s very interesting when someone lies on you over and over and you know what is the lie... and you know what is the lie...but then you’re forced to acknowledge the truths around the matter as well. And that’s really painful as well,” he explained.

According to police reports, Smollett claimed in February 2019 he was assaulted after leaving a fast food restaurant by two men wearing ski masks. He also said the pair who made derogatory remarks and then threw an unknown liquid on Smollett and placed a noose around his neck.

During the interview, the actor also shared advice a friend gave him a few years ago. “You may look at everything now and think that this is bad,” someone close to the actor observed. “You needed to mow the lawn so you could see all the snakes in your grass.”

He added:

“I do hold some people accountable for the things that they said, for the things that they did, for the ways that they reacted because half of those people should have picked up the fucking phone and called me because they had my number, you know? And they didn’t. I hold the people that went out there and said shit...I hold them to something. And not the people that don’t know me but the people that do know me. Fuck outta here—y’all know better than that and ya’ll did that—that was some PR bullshit. And you know who you are. And I will not name names and I love everybody—but I don’t like everybody.”

Last year, Smollett was found guilty for filing a false report and was sentenced to 30 months felony probation, which included 150 days in jail.