As we reported, Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of felony probation in connection to his staged hate-crime reported to the Chicago PD in January of 2019. According to TMZ, the actor and his legal team requested "protective custody" while he serves his time behind bars. He has also been ordered to pay a hefty restitution of more than $120,000 and a $25,000 fine.
The actor was immediately taken into custody following his sentencing Thursday morning. He reiterated that if something happens to him while he's in custody, he wants the world to know he isn't suicidal, and he didn't do it to himself.
Smollett in court - Pool/Getty Images
Smollett has spent the past couple of years in the courtroom ever since the Chicago Police Department ran a full investigation into his claims of being attacked by two men. Soon after the incident, police took two brothers in as "persons of interest," and shortly after that, new information was uncovered, alleging the actor had actually hired the brothers to stage the incident. Smollett and his lawyers went on to state the information is "nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying." Nonetheless, as the investigation into the possible hoax continued, the evidence seemingly still pointed to Smollett himself.
When all this information came to the light, Smollett found himself in hot water with the public peanut gallery, as a bunch of different celebrities including Charlamagne tha God, 50 Cent, Cardi B, and many more took issue with his alleged hoax. He was even mocked in a parody movie, Black Pranksters.
Before the end of 2021, Jussie Smollett had been awaiting sentencing after being found guilty on five of six felony charges of disorderly conduct, all in relation to lying to the police and constructing a fake police report.
During his sentencing hearing yesterday, Smollett maintained his innocence, fiercely. While in protective custody, a Cook's County Sheriff confirmed with TMZ that the actor would be monitored by both security guards and cameras, although he will be allowed to leave to use common areas, as long as other inmates are not in the area at the same time.
Check out his mugshot below.