We may never learn exactly what happened to Jussie Smollett in the wee early hours of January 29, 2019.
The Chicago Police Department says the actor filed a false hate crime report after hiring his personal trainers stage an attack against him. Yet, the city later dropped all charges (albeit begrudgingly) against the Empire actor. Meanwhile, Smollett’s lawyer insists he was attacked and that his attackers might’ve worn whiteface to mask their true identities.
Now, Smollett’s older brother Jojo has decided to involve himself in the seemingly never ending matter by penning an op-ed published in BET defending his kid brother.
Jojo starts off by saying his brother has been convicted “in the court of public opinion before he even entered a courtroom,” which isn’t fair.
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“With not one inkling of solid evidence, many believed the false witness testimony from two suspects who turned into witnesses, even though they lacked standard credibility,” Jojo writes.
He goes on to say that as a result of everything, Jussie has been suffering terrible nightmares.
“Jussie is as strong as iron, but following an attack like this, there is a normal and natural amount of post trauma that mostly anyone should expect to suffer,” he writes. “I have literally seen him violently awakening from night terrors, following the assault.”
According to his brother, Jussie’s entire life has been “turned upside down.”
“My family and I have witnessed him endure unrelenting attacks to his character and reputation,” Jojo adds. “Like so many others, this entire process quickly devolved from a focus on him as a victim of assault, to him being falsely accused and held responsible for a crime that was perpetrated against him.”
He concludes by writing, “To define this experience as unjust would be an understatement.”
Related: Chicago will sue Jussie Smollett for the $130,000 it spent investigating his weird “hate crime”
Aires the Ram
Well, When you’re a public figure like Smollett, and you do something that ends up ruining your reputation, what else do you expect? He should be in jail. Along with the DA that let him off.
Who in their right mind could feel sorry for him, after what he did?
DCguy
Interesting, Smollet lied to police harming himself. Aaron Schock stole tax dollars and fraudulently took hundreds of thousands of illegal dollars from a lobbyist harming all of his voters, yet you defend him and want Smollet in Jail. What’s the difference? Hmmmmmmm
Chrisk
I don’t know. How much did this police investigation cost? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t cheap.
mr guy
Conscience?
Looooool as if
Doug
Actually, that’s probably what the “night terrors” are all about, lol…
Vince
So he’s not a total psychopath after all.
funpitt412
Someone hand me a tissue, poor liar. Admit you lied and move on.
QueerTruth
The boy who cried wolf, can’t cry out loud anymore because no one believes the liar. So he gets his brother to cry for him.
Boo hoo. No one cares. Leave the states and start a private life somewhere else. Your celebrity status is permanently revoked. Bye
sfhairy
Probably FOMO for all the prison sex he was going to have.
Vince
It’s amazing that he keeps up the charade with his own family. He might have salvaged something if he had just come clean.
Hussain-TheCanadian
His brother’s name is Jojo…………………………………………………………seriously?
Anime fans anyone?
Brian
Their whole family has ridiculous J names. I think JoJo is the only one that’s actually a real name.
Brian
I’m not sure how tripling down on his victimhood is supposed to restore his name and career, but I guess that’s the path he’s choosing. Looks like his plan came to fruition after all, he’s just presenting himself as a different kind of victim than originally planned.
Xzamilloh
It’s possible that Jussie can come back from this, but he’s going in the wrong direction with this by doubling down on a story that was unconvincing from the start. Emipire was his breakthrough role and I’m afraid after this, he’ll never be known as more than Jamal Lyon and/or the actor that faked a hate crime.
Of course if that garbage YouTuber Calum McSwiggan can fake a hate crime and end up with nothing more than a few bad articles when it’s all said and done, Jussie can also come back from this through ACTIONS, not statements and apologies that any garden variety attention seeker can put out
Chrisk
Calum mcswiggen is just a youtuber for teenagers and twinks. Most don’t know him or care anyways.
Only thing that’s going to bring Jussie back now short of a miracle is maybe some infamous where are now stories or just some D list movies.
Brian
Get real. His career is over. Nobody will even remember Jamal, he will forever be the guy that faked a hate crime.
WindsorOntario
Sounds to me that the whole family is as crazy as he is. Then they posted something on twitter with a gif/meme/something with a quote from Malcolm X, which is odd considering all those kids are part black & part Jewish/white, and Malcolm X said some pretty awful things about Jewish people.
Chrisk
Ha. Yes because there’s such a connection between some privileged Hollywood celebs and Malcolm x.
Sounds like typical religious people though. We’ll pick out what we like out of the Bible or what somebody says and ignore the rest.
Ashke113
He’s only having night terrors because he now owes for that apt, car, utilities, enemas, credit cards, lube, wasted police money & my AA treatments for trying to drink away his memory. He never succeeded in getting that raise
Inspector 57
“He concludes by writing, ‘To define this experience as unjust would be an understatement.'”
You’re so right, JoJo. What Jussie did to every single one of us gay and/or black people is BEYOND unjust.
Black Pegasus
Guess what Jussie?
– you will sleep but you will never get any rest!
– you will eat but you won’t taste the food.
– you may smile but you’re dying inside!
This is the life YOU created.
You’re a sociopathic, narcissist jackazz and you deserve yourself.
DCguy
Frankly I’m kind of shocked that he isn’t doing the whole “I’m going to rehab, and all of this was because of drugs/alcohol” thing.
Isn’t that what every P.R. flack tells them to do when they get caught?
Ashke113
Wait for it……
jcoberkrom
Jessie brought this on himself. Maybe if he owned up to his actions his conscience would let him sleep.
Chrisk
I honestly think it’s too late. The only one he’s got left in his corner are his family and he doesn’t want to let them down. If the family wants to circle the wagons to protect him have at it.
BCbreeze
Maybe he can get a sponsor from Subway.
justgeo
Terrors about his stupidity!!!! A hole
CanadianGuy62
Jussie Smollett. Bless him.
MISTERJETT
he still insists that he’s telling the truth. maybe he is. i don’t know why everyone is taking what the two Nigerian brothers say as the gospel truth. i think everyone involved should take polygraphs and see what those results will be. Jussie just might be telling the truth.