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Jussie Smollett reflects on his ‘darkest day’ during hate crime hoax: ‘I was numb’
By Sara Whitman,
4 hours ago
Jussie Smollett is reflecting on his “darkest day” — the day he was arrested — five years after it happened.
“That was a pretty dark day because that’s when everything clicked to me of what was happening,” he told People in an interview published Saturday.
“A lot of things tested my strength, a lot of things tested my mental, but the one thing I never lost — I never started thinking that I am somebody that I’m not. That is the one thing that did not happen.”
In December 2021, he was found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for making false reports. He was sentenced to five months in jail and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine plus more than $120,000 in restitution for expenses incurred by the Chicago Police Department as they worked on his case.
He was released on bail six days into his sentence. His appeal is still pending.
“I was numb,” Smollett further recalled to People about his arrest and the events that would unfold. “I didn’t know how to connect the dots. I really genuinely did not know.”
“I couldn’t make sense of what was going on, and I couldn’t make sense of what people were actually thinking … what exactly do they think happened? I couldn’t put two and two together.”
The former “Empire” star maintains his innocence and told People he felt as if he was used as a political football … from both sides.”
“My views have not changed,” he confirmed to People. “My heart has not shifted at all.”
“I’m the same man that I was and will always be this way. If tons of people are listening to you, you should say something worth them hearing.”
As he presses for an appeal before the Illinois Supreme Court, Smollett said he is focused on moving forward with his life.
“I’m very well aware of my privilege in this situation. That’s why there’s a certain point where it’s just like, I can’t hold on to the pain,” he said.
“That’s why I’m blessed to continue on and make film and make music and do the things that I was put down here by God to do.”
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