Following a 2021 conviction for his involvement in a hate crime hoax and what has been described as a tumultuous few years, actor Jussie Smollett is reportedly beginning treatment at a rehab facility.
“Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years,” said Smollett’s representative in a statement, per People magazine. “He has quietly been working very hard for some time now, and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps.”
Over the last year, Smollett has maintained a low profile following the trial surrounding a hate crime incident he alleged had taken place on Jan. 29, 2019. In 2019, the actor, who held a prominent role on the Fox network hit “Empire” at the time, claimed he was physically and verbally assaulted by two masked men while en route to his Chicago apartment. Smollett, an out gay man, initially garnered sympathy as he alleged the men attacked him with racist and homophobic slurs, threw bleach on him, and tied a rope around his neck.
“Jussie was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime,” said the Smollett family in a statement, per The New York Times. “Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.”
However, as more details came to light via the resulting police investigation, skepticism grew amongst the public. When police determined that Smollett was familiar with the two suspected attackers, Abimbola “Bola” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, they turned their attention to the actor, suspecting him of filing a false report. After being arrested by the Chicago Police Department, Smollett’s trial began in 2021, where he faced charges of lying to the police. Though the actor maintained his innocence throughout the trial, he was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 150 days of jail time with an order to pay the city of Chicago nearly $150,000.
Though the new statement did not explain in details why Smollett entered rehab, the Osundairo brothers reportedly told police that they sold the actor illegal substances on multiple occasions.
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