The Real Reason Jussie Smollett Is Getting Out Of Jail
Jussie Smollett will walk free despite his sentenced jail time — at least for the time being.
Earlier in March, the former "Empire" star was sentenced to spend 150 days in jail and be subjected to probation following his conviction for falsely reporting to the police that he was a victim of a hate crime back in 2019. "You're just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime," Cook County Circuit Judge James Linn told him during his sentencing in Chicago, per NBC News. Smollett responded with a bizarre statement in addition to maintaining his innocence. "I am not suicidal!" he said. "If anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself."
In December 2021, the embattled actor was found guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct, per CNN. But, as his legal team appeals the decision, Smollett has now been allowed to dodge his original sentence.
Jussie Smollett was released from jail due to threats to his safety
On March 14, Jussie Smollett's family and legal team requested an immediate suspension of his 150-day jail sentence after the actor received "vicious threats" from fellow inmates. They also claimed that the actor is immunocompromised and exposure to COVID-19 could result in a "serious health risk," per Rolling Stone. He was moved to a different jail cell, but his brother, Jocqui Smollett, insisted that it wasn't enough. "At this point, our biggest priority is getting our brother out of jail. He's a strong individual, but it's not right. It's traumatic. It's a mental marathon. We want to get him out," he said.
Now, the actor has been granted freedom and was released from jail on March 16. In a 2-1 ruling, the appeals court ordered his release after posting a personal recognizance bond of $150,000, which simply means that he doesn't need to cough up money, per CNN. He is, however, required to come to court as needed.
Smollett's lawyers also argued that he would have completed his term even before anything significant happens in the appeal process. "They released him and that says a lot about what the appellate court thinks of this case," Nenye Uche, the lead lawyer in his team, said on Instagram.