Jussie Smollett

Born in Santa Rosa, California on June 21, 1982, Jussie Smollett is an actor and singer known for his work on the TV series Empire and the controversy surrounding a supposed 2019 hate crime attack. The biracial actor – his mother is African-American and his father is Jewish – began his career as a child actor, appearing in Mo’ Better Blues (1990), New Jack City (1991), The Mighty Ducks (1992) and Rob Reiner’s North (1994). He also appeared in episodes of several TV series – A Little Piece of Heaven (1991), Coach (1993), and Cro (1993-94) – before landing a role with his five siblings in On Our Own, which only lasted one season (1994-95). Jussie Smollett took a long break from acting to focus on his education. Coming out as gay when he was 19, he returned to acting in the 2012 gay-themed film The Skinny. After several more film and TV roles, Jussie Smollett’s career-defining role came in 2014 when he was cast as gay musician Jamal Lyon in the TV series Empire. The series was a success and he landed a recording contract with Columbia Records. After appearing on several soundtracks for the Empire TV show – which included charting singles such as “Good Enough,” “Keep Your Money,” “You’re so Beautiful” featuring Yazz, and “Conqueror” featuring Estelle - Jussie Smollett released his debut solo album, Sum of My Music, in 2018. In January 2019, Jussie Smollett reported that he had been attacked in an apparent hate crime outside of his apartment building in Chicago, Illinois. However, evidence did not substantiate his claims and after a full investigation, it was determined that the supposed attack was a hoax and nothing more than a publicity stunt to further his career. The city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against Jussie Smollett, charging him with false claims and asking for over $130,000.00 in restitution, the cost incurred during the investigation of the hoax. In March 2022, he was found guilty and sentenced to 150 days in county jail. He was released six days later after posting a $150,000 bond, pending the outcome of his appeal. Because of the controversy surrounding the hoax, his character was dropped from the Empire television series and the future of his career was in jeopardy. However, in July 2022, Jussie Smollett returned to his music career with the release of the single “Some Things.”

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