On Thursday, March 10th, disgraced actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in an Illinois jail for lying to police about a fake hate crime he staged against himself.
The hate crime hoaxer and former Empire actor will also have to pay Chicago $120,106 to cover the cost of the city’s police investigating his false report. Smollett was also fined $25,000 and will be on probation for 30 months.
Smollett lowered his face mask and maintained his innocence after his sentence was announced.
“Your Honor, I respect you and I respect the jury, but I did not do this,” he claimed.
Smollett then turned and addressed the court directly and said something truly bizarre that sent social media into a whirlwind of speculation and hilarious memes: “And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”
Before being taken into custody, the former actor again proclaimed his innocence, raising his fist in the air.
Wild moment: After getting sentenced to 150 days in jail, Jussie Smollett maintains his innocence and repeats how he is not suicidal.
"I am not suicidal. I am innocent and I am not suicidal … if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself." pic.twitter.com/AnDsLcINKL
— The Recount (@therecount) March 11, 2022
Judge James Linn then slammed Smollett because of his statement, saying:
“You’re just a charlatan, pretending to be a victim of a hate crime. Your very name has become an adverb for ‘lying.’”
“Your performance on the witness stand can only be described as pure perjury,” the judge added. “You are now a permanently convicted felon.”
“There is nothing that I can do here today that will come close to the damage you’ve already done to your own life,” Judge Linn said before delivering the sentencing. “You turned your life upside down by your misconduct and shenanigans.”
Judge Linn went on to emphasize the damage Smollett had done to victims of real hate crimes, noting the hypocrisy of his actions given the actor’s claimed lifelong commitment to social justice.
“I believe that you did damage to real hate crime victims.”
“The officer asked you a simple question. And then you start to lie and haven’t stopped lying since. You’ve been lying and lying and lying about this case, and that’s why you’re here today.”
The judge added:
“This can only be described as pure perjury,” when Jussie got on the witness stand and “committed hour upon hour upon hour of pure perjury.”
Smollett even arrived late to his own sentencing, with his bodyguards knocking one photographer to the ground.
Jussie Smollett's bodyguards throw a reporter to the ground as Smollett approaches the courthouse for his sentencing. pic.twitter.com/HmmwzZSfSN
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) March 10, 2022
The judge also made sure to mention the premeditated nature of Smollett’s hoax as a factor in his sentencing decision, pointing out the elaborate planning and rehearsal that went into concocting the scheme. The crime was not an impulsive decision or momentary lapse in judgment, Judge Linn said.
Jussie Smollett’s jail sentence was ordered to begin immediately following the hearing, something that appeared to surprise his defense team as they repeatedly requested that the judge delay his sentence. Judge Linn denied those requests.
Source: Patriot Nation Press