It’s truly disappointing when someone fabricates a story or embellishes the truth, causing harm and chaos. The actor who falsely claimed victimhood is now facing formal charges. Police assert that he masterminded the entire hoax, resulting in a felony charge for filing a false police report. Greed seems to have been his downfall. Originally intended for social media attention, his plan backfired when he crossed the line into criminal activity by involving law enforcement. Contacting the police and providing false information turned a misguided publicity stunt into a serious legal matter.
Recent developments suggest that Jesse Smollett’s troubles are far from over. Reports indicate that he’s had a mental breakdown following his ostracism from Hollywood and financial ruin. Allegedly, he squandered millions of dollars on legal fees over the past five years. Smollett gained notoriety in 2019 for orchestrating a staged racial and homophobic attack on himself, which he shamelessly attributed to others. Upon being exposed, he faced swift condemnation and was removed from all his projects. Revelations from his accomplices shed further light on the deception, cementing Smollett’s professional demise. It’s evident that his career will never recover from such a scandalous downfall. But before delving into his financial woes and industry banishment, let’s revisit the series of events that led to this unfortunate outcome.
Jesse soared to prominence in Hollywood thanks to his portrayal of Jamal Lyon in the popular TV series Empire, making him one of the industry’s most talked-about talents. However, his trajectory towards stardom hit a major snag when he orchestrated a controversial incident, tarnishing his own reputation.
In 2019, Jesse made headlines after alleging that he fell victim to a vicious hate crime, claiming he was assaulted by two individuals on a public street. According to his account, the attackers hurled homophobic and racial epithets at him, fastened a rope around his neck, and doused him with bleach.
Recalling the event, Jesse described how he ignored the initial call of “Empire,” his character’s show name, before confronting the assailants. He recounted being struck in the face while the assailant invoked “MAGA country,” leading to a physical altercation. Amid the scuffle, a second person joined in, delivering blows to Jesse’s back before the attackers fled the scene.
Following the revelation, Jesse’s story flooded social media, earning praise from both fans and celebrities for his bravery in standing up for himself. However, this positive wave took a sharp turn a few days later when the Chicago Police announced they were launching an extensive investigation, suspecting Jesse of fabricating the entire incident. This prompted widespread criticism of the Chicago PD, with many accusing them of racism and homophobia.
Jesse, who had initially claimed to be a victim of a racist, homophobic attack by members of the MAGA movement, went on ABC to express his frustration, alleging that the police were against him despite knowing he was lying.
The absurdity of Jesse’s situation left many questioning what exactly fueled their anger. Was it directed at the alleged attackers?
The culprits, as well as the assaults themselves, played a significant role. Initially, it seemed straightforward: speaking the truth settled matters because, well, it was the truth. Then doubt crept in. How could anyone question it? Wasn’t it obvious? Yet, it evolved further. It wasn’t just about disbelief in the truth; it was about refusing to acknowledge it altogether. Whatever unfolded, it transpired on that fateful night.
Subsequently, the police identified and apprehended the two assailants who had attacked Jesse, allegedly two brothers from Nigeria. What adds a bizarre twist to the tale is that these brothers had minor roles in Empire, with one even being close friends with Jesse. According to the Ola brothers’ account to law enforcement, Jesse had paid them $3,500 each to stage the attack. There existed footage of them purchasing ski masks and the rope used in the incident. They claimed Jesse had manipulated them, promising to leverage his Hollywood connections to secure them more significant roles if they complied. Given Jesse’s stature at the time, they found his promises believable.
As anticipated, Jesse denied the accusations, but the Ola brothers persisted. They testified against him in court, supported by phone records showing Jesse had called one of them just an hour before the attack. Following the trial, he faced 16 felony charges of disorderly conduct. However, these were dropped in exchange for community service and a $10,000 bond. Yet, his troubles didn’t end there.
Chicago then sued him for $130,000 to cover investigation costs, leading Jesse to counter-sue, claiming he suffered from widespread public ridicule and harm.
Jesse’s actions are incredibly reckless. Did he truly believe he could evade public scrutiny after fabricating a hate crime? His selfishness undermines the credibility of genuine victims who suffer similar injustices.
However, law enforcement remained vigilant. In 2020, a special prosecutor reopened the case, resulting in Jesse being indicted on six counts of filing false police reports. He was ultimately convicted on five felony counts in December 2021 and sentenced to 150 days in jail in March 2022.
“I am not guilty, I am innocent. I could have confessed long ago.”
Somehow, he managed to evade a 150-day sentence, only spending 6 days in jail. He posted bail of $150,000 while his lawyers appealed the verdict. Meanwhile, the Ola brothers capitalized on the situation, releasing a documentary that worsened Jesse’s predicament. They spared no details, airing all the grievances. In a recent interview on the popular Nigerian talk show, Chude, one of the brothers delved into how Jesse persuaded him to participate.
“He was with Jesse in the car, just heading home, when out of the blue, Jesse asked if he’d be willing to stage an attack for money. And as if that wasn’t bizarre enough, Jesse also inquired if his brother Ola would join in, to which Abel agreed.”
“He just sprung it on me out of nowhere, you know? It’s confusing. One moment you’re having a regular conversation with your friend, the next, he’s asking you this.”
“Yeah. So, we’re cruising in his car, he’s driving me home, and out of the blue, he drops, ‘I want you to beat me up.’ You know, that’s not something you hear every day. So I’m like, ‘Hold up, okay, he’s also puffing away, so maybe he’s just high, you know, maybe that’s what’s going on.’ But then he locks eyes with me again when he notices my silence. ‘I mean it, I want you to beat me up.’ I’m like, ‘Wait, what?’ So then he starts elaborating on what he’s asking, and then he throws in that he needs someone else to join in, and he wonders if my brother would be game, and I’m like, ‘Absolutely, my brother’s in.’ So that’s how it went down. We swung by to pick up my brother, spilled the beans to him, and that’s how we ended up where we are now.”
Abel also delved into how Jesse pledged to leverage his Hollywood connections to score them both bigger roles if they played along.
“My brother and I, we’re seasoned actors. I mean, I also do boxing professionally, but acting’s our bread and butter. We’ve appeared on ‘Chicago PD,’ indie flicks, you name it, all across America. In this industry and in life, it’s all about connections, and back then, ‘Empire’ was the talk of the town. It was top dog in America. So having a rapport with him, rubbing elbows, could really open doors for me in that cutthroat industry, because let me tell you, acting is cutthroat. So, that’s why we went along with it. To gain favor with Jesse, and in return, he’d help us climb the ladder in the acting world. That’s the deal.”
He also claimed Jesse initially orchestrated the entire incident to gain attention on social media, intending to send it to blogs for coverage. However, he later escalated the situation by involving the police, leading to dire consequences.
“It was supposed to be a social media stunt, you know, for the blogs and all. But what he did, the big mistake, turned it into a crime, dragging us all down. He called the cops. That’s what made it criminal, involving the police and lying to them.”
“He didn’t clue you in about that plan?”
“Nope, never mentioned calling the cops. That wasn’t part of it.”
“Exactly. Calling the police wasn’t in our playbook. We didn’t even talk to them before they arrested us. So why were we arrested?”
“They didn’t know what happened. Thought we really attacked him, thanks to his lies. He wanted us to take the fall, insane.”
Abel also revealed Jesse’s attempt to manipulate him into a compromising situation.
“He even made sexual advances towards me, but I shut it down.”
“He had a masseuse at his place, and he wanted me to join in. But I knew better. I saw through it. He was setting me up for something, definitely.”
Abel didn’t hold back, exposing Jesse’s true nature.
To add to his troubles, Jesse’s Hollywood career hit rock bottom. He was ousted from “Empire” and shunned by the industry elites, facing a bleak future.
“Hollywood won’t forgive him. He’s burned bridges with the LGBTQ and black communities. He’s on the same list as Cosby, Lauer, and Spacey. It’s over for Jesse, all his doing.”
Even more absurd is his insistence on sticking to this pitiful tale of being attacked, despite the glaring evidence that he fabricated the entire incident. Yet, as the saying goes, if you deceive yourself for long enough, you might just start believing your own lies.
As expected, people had plenty to say about this debacle, and they didn’t hold back in criticizing Jesse. One individual remarked, “If his motive was salary-related, his actions are even more deplorable than I initially thought. It’s revolting to witness someone concoct a false narrative to portray themselves as a victim of racial hatred. He’s only made it more difficult for genuine victims who rely on the system for justice. I hope he faces severe repercussions and loses everything.”
Another commenter added, “He’ll remain ostracized until he comes clean about his actions. Genuine humility can go a long way. In the meantime, perhaps he should seek financial assistance from his sister. He needs to understand the repercussions of his lie on the African-American community. Maybe a visit to the African-American National Museum would enlighten him about the real crimes committed against our people.