Jussie Smollett Hate Crime Hoax Conviction Overturned

Empire actor Jussie Smollett’s hate crime hoax conviction has been overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court.

In short, per a report from the Associated Press, the court cited the prior dropping of charges in the case and the actor’s forfeiture of a $10,000 bond, specifically arguing in the 5-0 ruling that this represented an example of “agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.” As such, the court ruled, the agreement should be honored. Following Cook County’s move to drop charges in the case in 2019, a grand jury later indicted Smollett on new charges.

In a statement shared with media on Thursday, Special Prosecutor Dan K. Webb said his office was “disappointed” by the court’s decision to overturn Smollett’s conviction in a “fake hate crime.” Webb also took issue with the “factual and legal reasoning” at the core of the overturning.

“Make no mistake—today’s ruling has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett’s innocence,” Webb said, in part. “The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial that Mr. Smollett orchestrated a fake hate crime and reported it to the Chicago Police Department as a real hate crime, or the jury’s unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct.”

Complex has reached out to Smollett's attorney for comment. This story may be updated.

Smollett has repeatedly defended himself in connection with the case, which for quite some time remained a headlines mainstay, even as recently as earlier this year after Empire co-creator Lee Daniels said he’d still be open to working with the actor again despite their “complicated” relationship.

In a 2022 Sway in the Morning interview, Smollett, most recently seen alongside Vivica A. Fox in The Lost Holliday, argued that he’d be “a piece of shit” if he did indeed do what he’d been accused of doing in 2019. In Smollett’s own words, he’s “not that motherfucker” and never has been. He also asserted that his acting journey was doing fine at that point, arguing that he didn’t need to manufacture a “rise” in his career.