Whether he’s to be believed or not about the alleged attack on him that took place in January 2019, what’s irrefutable is thatJussie Smolletthas had a pretty rough couple of years. At the time, Smollett had reported to Chicago police that he’d been assaulted by two masked men, alleging that they’d been spouting racial and homophobic slurs during the attack. Initially, there had been an outpouring of support for Smollett has many believed him to be the victim of a hate crime.
However, the police were not buying Smollett’s story. A subsequent investigation identified the assailants as two Nigerian brothers with whom Smollett worked with onEmpire. The siblings, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, claimed Smollett had paid them to help orchestrate a hoax attack as a publicity stunt for the actor. A jury ultimately agreed with cops that the evidenced supported the Osundairos' story and Smollett was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct in December 2021. He was sentenced to serve 150 days in county jail but was released days later pending an appeal.
Smollett has opened up about his situation in a new interview withSway’s Universe. Reflecting on everything that’s happened since the incident, Smollett says he still maintains his innocence but regrets how he handled the accusations that he was lying about the assault. He remembered a controversial interview he’d done with Robin Roberts that didn’t exactly help his case and says he should have conducted himself differently in retrospect. Here’s what he said, perYahoo:
“I didn’t wanna do an interview… I love and respect Robin Roberts… I did not want to do that interview. That interview wasn’t for me, that was for my character… I watched it and I was mortified. I mean, I was mortified. I mean, I cringed at just the, every single word that I said in that interview was the truth, but there was a certain level of performative nature that came from it because I didn’t want to be there,” he said. “I was so angry and so offended that I had to go on national television and explain something that happened to me. And it was so political, and it was all of those things, and I found myself dealing with my own internalized homophobia.”
Smollett adds that he should have been strong rather than come across as a victim. He also dismisses the notion that he orchestrated the attack for attention as he was already doing well with his career.
“If I were to do something, it would not be to look like a victim. It would be to look like, if anything, someone strong… I was on the up and up.”
Related:Jussie Smollett Debuts New Rap Song, Still Claims He’s Innocent
Jussie Smollett Says He Didn’t Know the Online Response Was So Bad
According to Jussie Smollett, he did not realize at the peak of the controversy that he had gotten so much ridicule on social media. At that time, it would have been very clear by taking one peek at the internet that most people did not believe Smollett. What was especially painful for Smollett is that there were people he knew personally who also did not believe him.
“When I say I was shut off from the world, I was shut off from the world. I was not allowed to get on social media. (I Googled myself) about a year later. Worst idea ever. I really saw what it was and it was so painful. Cause I was like, ‘Ooh, he said that about me. Oh my God. Oh, she said that. What?”
But not everyone would turn their backs on Smollett. One person who stayed there to support him throughout wasEmpireco-star Taraji P. Henderson. Smollett revealed that he’d just spoken with her and that he has so much love for her, considering her a best friend for sticking with him.
“I was just with Taraji the day before yesterday in Atlanta. That is my heart. My heart, we had the best time we went to brunch,” Smollett said. “I love that woman. It is unexplainable how much I love that woman and she is literally one of my best friends in the whole world.”
Smollett is putting acting on pause for the moment to step behind the camera for his next creative endeavor. He made his directorial debut withthe new filmB-Boy Blueswhich recently premiered on BET+.
