By Bob Hoge. Media: Redstate
You’d think disgraced actor Jussie Smollett would do the smart thing: have a come-to-Jesus moment, beg the public for forgiveness, and announce he’s going to treatment for some undisclosed psychological ailment. The plan has worked for numerous scandal-ridden stars before him, and it would have been his only real chance at redemption.
He’s choosing not to take it.
You’ll probably recall that the “Empire” thespian claimed in 2019 that he was attacked by two thugs wearing MAGA hats in the dead of a frigid Chicago night when he went to get a Subway sandwich. As I wrote previously about the case, “His story was so full of holes, it made Swiss cheese jealous.”
On Friday, Smollett agreed to settle a civil suit with the city by forking over $50,000 to the local charity of his choice. By Saturday, he was back to laughably proclaiming his innocence despite mountains of evidence to the contrary:
In an Instagram post on Saturday, Smollett accused the city of Chicago working as part of a conspiracy to discredit his claim of being a victim of a hate crime.
“Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City Officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set an assault against myself. This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear,” Smollett wrote.
“These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear…They have received neither,” he continued.
Snort, chortle, laugh. Or as our thankfully ex-president might have said, “C’mon, man!”
Did you forget about this, Jussie?
Smollett’s legal journey was long and twisted, but essentially, a George Soros-backed prosecutor messed the whole thing up “accidentally on purpose.” I reported on the back and forth in November 2024:
First, cops wasted money and time investigating, then they realized it was a hoax, and then he was charged with staging a fake hate crime. However, the charges were later dropped by woke Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx because she claimed that Smollett performed community service, which was punishment enough. Outrage naturally ensued, a special prosecutor was assigned to reinvestigate, they charged him, and he was convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct.
It was a disgusting case from day one, but justice was finally served, right?
Not so fast. On Thursday [November 24], the state Supreme Court overturned said justice.
Smollett is now claiming the court’s decision proved he was innocent, but it proved nothing of the sort. What he seems not to be comprehending is that the ruling had exactly zero to do with his guilt or innocence—it was based on procedural grounds due to Foxx’s antics:
In fact, special prosecutor Dan Webb argued that the ruling had “nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence.”
“The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial… or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct,” he said at the time.
Smollett, some advice: exit stage left. This type of gaslighting is only making you more of a laughingstock and is highly unlikely to get your Hollywood career back on track. The reason is simple: nobody with a brain believes you.
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