Jussie Smollett's Life After Alleged Hate Crime Hoax: Where Is He Now?

Jussie Smollett made headlines after he claimed to Chicago police that he was the victim of a homophobic and racist attack — but where is he after continuing to deny accusations of a hoax?

Smollett got his start as a child star with a role in The Mighty Ducks. The actor, whose siblings include Jurnee Smollett and Jake Smollett, rose to stardom after joining Empire on Fox alongside Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

The show, which ran from 2015 to 2020, centered on a fictional hip-hop and entertainment company and the drama among the family members of founder Lucious Lyon (Howard). Smollett played Jamal, who was one of the sons of the central Lyon family.

After expanding into directing and singing, Smollett shocked the public when he claimed in 2019 that he was a victim of a hate crime. Smollett received an outpouring of support before he was ultimately accused by the authorities of staging his own assault.

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Police arrested two possible suspects — Abimbola “Bola” Osundairo and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo — but they were released without charges, and Smollett was subsequently charged with felony disorderly conduct for making a false police report. In March 2019, prosecutors dropped the charges, but Smollett had already been written out of Empire.

“Today we witnessed an organized law enforcement spectacle that has no place in the American legal system. The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr. Smollett and notably, on the eve of a Mayoral election,” Smollett’s legal team said at the time. “Mr. Smollett is a young man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence and feels betrayed by a system that apparently wants to skip due process and proceed directly to sentencing.”

In 2020, special prosecutor Dan Webb indicted Smollett again, accusing him of knowing that there was no crime when he reported to the police that he had been assaulted. Smollett has maintained his innocence even after being found guilty in 2021 of five felony counts of disorderly conduct.

Smollett was sentenced to jail in March 2022 before being released six days later. The sentence was upheld on appeal in 2023, but the Illinois Supreme Court later reversed the conviction in 2024 on the basis that he had fulfilled the plea agreement made in 2019.

After taking a break from the public eye, Smollett offered his side of the story in Netflix’s The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, which was released in August 2025. Keep scrolling to see where Smollett is now:

What Was Jussie Accused Of?

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Smollett originally alleged in 2019 that he was the victim of a homophobic and racist attack. He claimed two individuals poured an unknown chemical substance on him and wrapped a rope around his neck.

Us Weekly subsequently confirmed that Smollett was charged with making a false police report. He was arrested and charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct.

How Did the Investigation End?

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After entering a not guilty plea, Smollett had all criminal charges dropped against him in March 2019.

“After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case,” the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Smollett was indicted again in February 2020 on six counts for making false reports to police. The musician, who pleaded not guilty to the new charges, continued to deny orchestrating the fake attack or lying about what happened.

After a high-profile trial, Smollett was convicted in 2021 of five out of six felony counts of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation — 150 days of which were to be served in jail — and required to pay the city of Chicago $120,000 in restitution and a fine of $25,000. An appeals court later granted his release pending the appeal of his conviction, which Illinois’ high court agreed in March 2024 to hear.

The Illinois Supreme Court later reversed Smollett’s conviction in 2024 on the basis that he had fulfilled the plea agreement made in 2019.

Did Jussie Speak Out at the Time?

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Smollett’s family released a statement in January 2019 after his alleged attack that read in part, “Jussie was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.”

He broke his silence one month later.

“Despite my frustrations and deep concern with certain inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have been spread, I still believe that justice will be served,” he told Essence. “As my family stated, these types of cowardly attacks are happening to my sisters, brothers and non–gender conforming siblings daily. I am not and should not be looked upon as an isolated incident. We will talk soon and I will address all details of this horrific incident, but I need a moment to process. Most importantly, during times of trauma, grief and pain, there is still a responsibility to lead with love. It’s all I know. And that can’t be kicked out of me.”

Amid his legal issues, Smollett maintained his innocence through his legal team. After being released from jail in October 2023, Smollett reportedly checked himself into an outpatient rehab facility, according to multiple outlets.

“Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years,” Smollett’s rep said to TMZ in a statement at the time. “He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps.”

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Where Is Jussie Now?

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Smollett debuted his first movie since the controversy — The Lost Holliday — in 2024. (He also took part in Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax in 2023.)

“It means a great deal to have the love and support of my queer Black community and equally to have the love and support of the Black community as a whole,” Smollett told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024. “Sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and let everybody think that you’re crazy, that you’re shady, that you’re a fraud, whatever they’re going to think. And then they’ll figure it out. They’ll figure it out because I can’t sit here forever trying to explain.”

In June 2025, Smollett announced that he was engaged to Jabari Redd. He is also set to participate in season 3 of Fox’s Special Forces.

How Involved Was Jussie With ‘The Truth About Jussie Smollett?’

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Netflix released a documentary in August 2025 where Smollett recounted his version of events. The special featured interviews with other major players involved in the case, including police, lawyers, journalists and investigators.

“My story has never changed. My story has remained intact,” Smollett stated. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether someone likes me or doesn’t like me. It doesn’t matter whether you like the way I’m giving this interview. It doesn’t matter whether you like the way that I look right now or not. It doesn’t matter whether you love my performances or you can’t stand them. That’s unimportant.”

He continued: “What is important is — regardless of what you think about me — flaws and all, flaws and greatness, whatever you think. The fact is, I didn’t do that. And that’s all that matters.”

Bola and Ola also made appearances while standing by their account of how they were allegedly hired by Smollett to fake an attack, which he has denied.

Where Are the Other Major Players Involved in Jussie’s Trial?

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According to The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, Bola and Ola have “developed new theories” about the case. They mentioned in a confessional that they believe Smollett was “put up to it by somebody in a political position.”

Bola and Ola plan to elaborate in an upcoming book which they are still trying to remember the title of. Bola referred to it as Bigger Than Jussie before Ola had to clarify that the rest of the title is The Disturbing Need for a Modern-Day Lynching.

Bola and Ola’s attorney Gloria Schmidt also took part in the docuseries. In a post-credits scene, she suggested her clients and Smollett should “do a Saturday Night Live skit” to bury the hatchet.