Jussie Smollett’s conviction surrounding his 2019 hate crime ‘hoax’ was overturned on Thursday. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Smollett’s special prosecutor should not have intervened with new charges, after the state dropped their initial case against the ‘Empire’ star in 2019. Earlier that year, the actor alleged that he was assaulted outside his Chicago home, with his attackers displaying racist and homophobic motivations. The ruling did not address Smollett’s continued claims of innocence.
December 23, 2024