American actor, Jussie Smollett has been released from jail after six days.
The former “Empire” star was granted the opportunity to post a bail of $150,000. And to leave jail six days into his 150-day sentence, according to his court order.
Smollett’s lawyer is filing an appeal on his case. However, the appellate court said their decision may not be completed until after the duration of Jussie’s sentence. This leads them to grant his “stay” or pause in jail time.
On Wednesday evening, Smollett was seen walking out of the jail and getting into an SUV. Speaking after his release, his lawyer, Nenye Uche, said,
“We’ve been complaining about the disparate treatment of African Americans in the judicial system regardless of what you think about this case. Some people might think Mr. Smollett is guilty. I disagree. But a real question is should Black men be locked into jail for a class four felony. Shame on you if you think they should. That’s a disgrace. It’s wrong.”
According to the attorney, the actor has not eaten in six days, only consuming ice water. “Maybe he knew spiritually something we didn’t know,” he added.
Beyond the 150 days in county jail, Jussie was also sentenced to 30 months of felony probation. He was also ordered to pay about $120,000 in restitution to the city and a fine of $25,000.
In December 2021, Smollett was found guilty of multiple counts of disorderly conduct. He was convicted of filing a false police report in 2019, saying he was the victim of an alleged hate crime.
At the time, Jussie told investigators that two men in masks attacked him by putting a noose around his neck and pouring chemicals on him while shouting homophobic and racist slurs.
However, after investigating, officials came to the conclusion that Jussie had fabricated the incident. During a press conference, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said that Jussie paid $3,500 for brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo to help him fake the hate crime. Smollett has denied this claim.
