Nearly six years after allegedly staging a racist and homophobic attack on himself and being found guilty of five felony counts of disorderly conduct two years later, Jussie Smollett seems more determined than ever to fight for his truth and rebuild his career in Hollywood.
However, according to experts, the 42-year-old actor — who recently returned to the silver screen with his new movie, “The Lost Holliday” — has not only “hit bottom” as far as his professional career goes, Smollett has acquired a new level of what a lawyer called “delusional” in his effort to maintain innocence.
“He’s already hit bottom, it’s going to take a while until he can push off the floor and really start swimming back to the surface,” Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, told Fox News Digital. “That said, you can either give up and float to the top or you can swim against the current back to the top. However, your career only has a pulse in one of those two scenarios.”
WATCH ‘JUSSIE SMOLLETT: ANATOMY OF A HOAX’
Jussie Smollett was convicted in 2021 of five counts of disorderly conduct. (The Everett Collection/Getty Images)
“It’s possible [Smollett may always be viewed as a liar],” Eldridge added. “The real question is whether his career will recover in spite of it.”
A representative for Smollett did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“But his idea to keep going on and ‘fighting for the truth’ — it strikes me as delusional.”
In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Smollett maintained his innocence and said he will continue to do so, no matter the cost.
“I want to have all of these things in my life, and I don’t want to have a felony on my record for something that I didn’t do,” Smollett told the outlet. “That’s what we’re fighting for. I know that on the surface it probably seems like why doesn’t he just serve the time, why doesn’t he just let this go? It would be easier if I had in fact done this to say that I did it. I wouldn’t have spent almost $3 million of my own money. I wouldn’t have had a trial.”
Jussie has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, conviction and appeal. (Amy Sussman)
“I’ve stood by, not my truth but the truth for the entire time, almost six years,” he added. “I haven’t switched my story up. I haven’t changed anything that I ever said. I stand by every single thing that I’ve ever said. Everyone else in the situation, every single person, has changed their story numerous times.”
There’s one problem though, says Gene Roy, retired chief of detectives for the Chicago Police Department, his story “was false from the word go.”
“Jusse is absolutely correct when he claims that his story has never changed,” Roy told Fox News Digital. “But the problem is that his story was false from the word go. His story didn’t change, but the diligent investigation by the Chicago Police Department uncovered the facts. And the facts are what matters.”
Smollett said he has not changed his story since 2019. (Nuccio DiNuzzo)
“These sorts of things can be overcome — there is a long list of Hollywood actors who have had brushes with the law, resolved them and moved on with their lives and gone back to being in movies,” Michigan trial attorney Jamie White of White Law PLLC, added. “But his idea to keep going on and ‘fighting for the truth’ — it strikes me as delusional.”
In January 2019, the “Empire” actor reported to Chicago police that he had been attacked by two men wearing ski masks. Smollett, an openly gay Black man, was then accused of orchestrating the attack on himself and lying to police about it. An investigation was opened and Smollett was eventually arrested.
The charges against him were dropped and then refiled a year later, and he was convicted in 2021 of five felony counts of disorderly conduct.
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He was sentenced to 150 days in jail on March 10, 2022. The actor was also sentenced to 30 months felony probation, restitution to the city of Chicago in the amount of $120,106, and a fine of $25,000.
In March 2023, Smollett’s legal team filed an appeal brief. The case is currently being reviewed by the Illinois State Court.
“I really don’t think there’s too much more that Jesse can do in his fight for the truth,” Roy said. “At this point the decision as to his guilt or innocence is in the hands of the Illinois Supreme Court.”
As far as regaining the public’s trust and rebuilding his career, it may just not be in the cards for Smollett, says Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author of “Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days.”
Smollett filed his appeal in 2023. (Nuccio DiNuzzo)
“In the interview with ET, Smollett says ‘my truth.’ Well, ‘my truth’ isn’t always the actual truth, and that’s what Jussie still hasn’t accepted,” Alpert told Fox News Digital. “Whenever a celebrity or politician is given a second chance by fans or the public, it’s usually after an admission of wrongdoing, atonement and an apology. With Smollett, we haven’t seen any of this, just defiance.”
“In my view, if Smollett had admitted guilt early on and paid the price he might have a better chance at being forgiven by the public and going on to have a successful acting career where he is respected,” Alpert continued. “As bad as the crime and lie was, the public is forgiving and generally likes to see people improve. Whether it’s overcoming a drug addiction, an affair, or in Jussie’s case, an elaborate bogus plan to make certain people look bad based simply on their skin color and political affiliation.”
“However, Jussie has not admitted guilt and apologized,” he added. “If Smollett had taken a page out of the Hugh Grant or Will Smith playbook and admitted guilt early on, he might have a better chance at being forgiven by the public and going on to have a successful acting career where he is respected.”
Fox News Digital’s Lauryn Overhultz, Tracy Wright and Larry Fink contributed to this post.
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