Topic: Jussie Smollett

A Chicago court on Wednesday granted "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett release from jail on bond pending an appeal a week after he was sentenced to 150 days in Cook County Jail.

Actor Jussie Smollett repeated the phrase "I am not suicidal" when given the chance to speak, after he was handed 150 days in jail Thursday, as part of his sentence for fabricating a hate crime attack three years ago.

A judge on Thursday set March 10 as the date to sentence former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, who Chicago jurors found guilty of disorderly conduct last month in a hate crime hoax case.

A special prosecutor's report found "operational failures" in Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office's handling of the case against former Empire actor Jussie Smollett.

Jurors on Thursday found actor Jussie Smollett guilty on five of six disorderly conduct charges for lying to police and staging a hate crime attack against himself in 2019.

Actor Jussie Smollett on Tuesday called the two brothers who say he paid them to stage a hate crime attack against him "liars" as his defense rested its case.

Actor Jussie Smollett took to the witness stand to testify in his own defense, saying he had a sexual relationship with one of the brothers he is accused of paying to stage a fake hate crime against him.

A self-professed good friend of Jussie Smollett testified Wednesday that the former Empire actor had recruited him and his brother to stage a hate crime in the winter of 2019.

Prosecutors on Tuesday called a Chicago police officer as their first witness in the trial of former "Empire" star Jussie Smollett, who's being tried for allegedly setting himself up as the victim of a phony hate crime.

Jury selection was completed Monday in the Chicago trial of former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, nearly three years after he was charged with falsely claiming to be the victim of a hate crime.