Jussie Smollett: podcast appearances and interviews

Jussie Smollett is an American actor, filmmaker, and singer born on June 21, 1982. He began his career as a child actor, making his debut in the film The Mighty Ducks in 1992. Smollett is known for his role as musician Jamal Lyon in the Fox drama series Empire, a role he portrayed from 2015 to 2019. In January 2019, Smollett claimed to have been the victim of a hate crime; however, police later determined that he had staged the attack with two acquaintances. Initially charged with filing a false police report, the charges were dropped after he completed community service and forfeited $10,000. In 2020, a special prosecutor re-indicted him, leading to his conviction on five counts in December 2021. He was sentenced to jail in March 2022, but his release was ordered after serving six days. His sentence was upheld on appeal in 2023 before the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the conviction in 2024, finding that he had fulfilled the terms of his 2019 plea agreement.