Jussie Smollett Enters Rehab After 'Extremely Difficult Past Few Years'
TMZ reports that Smollett has checked himself into an outpatient facility for rehabilitation.
Jussie Smollett has entered rehab After an "extremely difficult past few years." On Wednesday, TMZ reported that a rep for the actor confirmed he has checked himself into an outpatient rehab facility to seek treatment for unspecified issues. "Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years," the rep told TMZ. "He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps."
Smollett's "difficult" years began back in 2019 when he claimed that two men violently attacked him on the street outside his apartment in Chicago, resulting in a hospital trip to be treated for his wounds. He was later charged by police for allegedly fabricating the story, which he and his legal team had vehemently denied. The state Attorney General initially dropped the charges against Smollett, but new charges came after a judge found the prosecution's decision to be invalid.
The Chicago Tribune later reported that Smollett's lawyers filed the necessary paperwork with the state's high court, motioning that the new indictment be dismissed on the grounds of double jeopardy. However, they were not successful in having the case thrown out. The case went to trial in late 2021, with the former Empire actor being charged with lying to police about being the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
He was formally charged with six counts of felony disorderly conduct for allegedly filing a false police report, per ABC News. Smollet's defense team argued that the two men who were also implicated in the incident, Abimbola and Ola Osundairo, were lying about being friends whom Smollet paid to help him carry out the fake attack plan. The jury found the actor found guilty on 5 out of 6 charges.
Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of probation, and ordered to spend the first 150 days of his sentence in the Cook County Jail. However, roughly a week later, a judge ruled that the Empire alum could be released on bond while his attorneys appealed his conviction. Two days prior, Smollett's lawyers had filed legal documents to postpone Smollett's five-month sentence, claiming that he would be a target while in custody due to his celebrity status and the high-profile nature of the case. The actor has since kept a very low profile for the past few years.