The African-American and homosexual comedian had claimed to have been a victim of a racist and homophobic attack in January 2019.
Le Monde with AFP
“You have hurt the true victims of racist crimes,” said the judge. The American actor, Jussie Smollett, was sentenced on Thursday, March 10, to nearly five months in prison by a Chicago court for staged a racist and homophobic aggression in January 2019 which he said to himself. This attack had provoked indignation at the time in the United States.
The 39-year-old comedian, African-American and homosexual, had been convicted in December to have “planned” this false aggression by paying $ 3,500 to two brothers of Nigerian origin, and to lie several times to the police in his depositions.
“You were looking for attention, you wanted to be even more famous,” said Judge, James Linn, when sentenced. He lasted an “arrogant, selfish and narcissistic accused” which has “premeditated to the extreme” a lie that finally had the opposite effect.
Jussies Smollett, who had to be incarcerated from Thursday night, will have to make the first one hundred and fifty days in prison and will go a total of thirty months at supervised freedom. It must also reimburse $ 120,106 (approximately 109,234 euros), which corresponds to a portion of the expenses related to the Chicago police investigation.
The actor always claims his innocence
Featured featured from the Empire successful TV series, Jussie Smollett has always claimed his innocence. “I did not do that, I am innocent,” said the comedian after the sentencing statement, before leaving the courtyard a raised fist. The lawyers and the Family of Jussie Smollett had previously implemented the clemency of Judge Linn and asked for an alternative sentence at the prison closed.
He assured himself to be attacked in the middle of the night on January 29, 2019 in a rue de Chicago by two masked men affirming being supporters of President Donald Trump. They would have struck her by giving up racist and homophobic insults and would have put a node flowing around the neck.
According to his lawyers, Jussie Smollett was assaulted by Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, two brothers encountered on the turning of Empire, who were motivated by the money and one of whom was homophobic. But for the Prosecution, the actor has changed the attack to advance his career by taking advantage of his notoriety.
The case had provoked a shock in a country still strongly marked by racial and sexual discrimination. The actor had immediately received the support of many personalities in the political and cultural world.