Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett (/ˈdʒʌsi sməlˈɛt/, born June 21, 1982) is an American actor and singer. He began his career as a child actor in 1991 debuting in The Mighty Ducks (1992). From 2015 to 2019, Smollett portrayed musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire.

In January 2019, Smollett staged a fake hate crime against himself in Chicago and later made false police reports regarding the incident. In December 2021, Smollett was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct; he was sentenced in March 2022 to 150 days in county jail. He was released 6 days later on bond while his case was on appeal. On December 1, 2023, Smollett's appeal was denied by the Illinois Appellate Court in a 2–1 decision, and Smollett will be required to complete his 150-day sentence. In March 2024, the Supreme Court of Illinois announced that it would hear an appeal by Smollett into his conviction, although no date was set for a hearing.