Context:

Jussie Smollett, the actor embroiled in a controversial 2019 hate crime case, continues to assert his innocence, attributing his alleged victimhood to a conspiracy involving Chicago officials. As he seeks to rehabilitate his career, Smollett is featured in an upcoming Netflix documentary, 'The Truth About Jussie Smollett?,' where he maintains his account of being attacked by two Trump supporters. Despite his conviction on felony disorderly conduct charges, which was later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court, Smollett insists he was targeted by the city to divert attention from other scandals, such as the Laquan McDonald shooting. He refrains from directly accusing the Nigerian brothers who testified against him, although he disputes their claims. Smollett emphasizes that his narrative has remained consistent, contrasting it with what he describes as the changing stories of others involved in the case.

Dive Deeper:

• Jussie Smollett claims he was attacked in 2019 by two supporters of President Donald Trump, who allegedly used racist and homophobic slurs, placed a noose around his neck, and doused him with bleach.

• He accuses the Chicago Police Department and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel of conspiring against him to distract from local scandals, particularly the 2014 police shooting of Laquan McDonald.

• A Netflix documentary titled 'The Truth About Jussie Smollett?' is set to release, aiming to shed light on Smollett's perspective and potentially revitalize his career following the scandal.

• Smollett's legal troubles began when two Nigerian Americans testified that he orchestrated the attack, leading to his 2021 conviction on felony disorderly conduct charges, which were later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on a technicality.

• Despite refusing to criticize the brothers who accused him, Smollett maintains that his story has never wavered, unlike others involved in the case, and insists he has nothing to gain by fabricating the incident.