Source: Variety / Getty
After a tumultuous past few years, Jussie Smollett is ready to get some professional help.
The actor and singer has checked into a rehab treatment facility.
According to TMZ, Smollett is in an outpatient program working endlessly to improve his health.
“Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now, and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps,” his camp tells TMZ.
The 41-year-old seeking some professional help comes as he’s embroiled in a Chicago case over his alleged 2019 hate crime. The city of Chicago believes it was a hoax, and he was found guilty in 2021 of five of six counts of disorderly conduct for making false police reports.
He was sentenced to 150 days in jail for his alleged crime but was released on bond after just six days. He continues to fight, thanks to his lawyer filing an appeal over the sentence.
After the court’s decision, Smollett’s lawyer, Nenye Uche, pleaded his innocence outside the courthouse, critiquing the verdict.
“The verdict is inconsistent. You cannot say Jussie is lying and Jussie is not lying for the same exact incident,” Uche said. “So, we feel 100% confident that this case will be won on appeal.”
Outside of jail time, Smollett has received 30 months of felony probation, was ordered to pay the city nearly $120,000 in restitution and cough up $25,000 for a fine.
The drama began back in January 2019 when the Empire actor alleged that two Trump supporters attacked him on the streets of Chicago while he was on his way home from picking up dinner at Subway. He reported to police that racial and homophobic slurs were hurled at him, an unknown substance was poured on him and a noose was wrapped around his neck.
However, as an investigation into the alleged hoax crime continued, the Chicago Police Department determined that the attack was staged, and Smollett actually hired the two brothers for $ 3,500 to stage the event.
Smollett has vehemently denied that the hate crime was a hoax.
