Sandy MaloneChicago, IL – Disgraced former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett released a song on Friday dedicated to “the people who kept it real,” claiming his innocence and addressing his conviction for lying to police about a hate attack he faked on himself (video below).
A Cook County jury found Smollett guilty of faking the 2019 hate crime on Dec. 9, 2021.
Cook County Judge James Linn said in March that Smollett had a “dark side” and sentenced the actor to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation.
The judge said the sentence he was handing down had “real serious aggravating factors” that justified sending Smollett to prison.
Linn specifically mentioned premeditation, the damage to real victims, the damage done to the city of Chicago, and “hour upon hour upon hour of pure perjury” that he said Smollett had committed on the stand at trial.
He also ordered Smollett to pay the city of Chicago $120,106 in restitution and to pay criminal fines in the amount of $25,000.
The judge ordered defendant immediately taken to the Cook County Jail to begin his sentence and Smollett had a meltdown in the courtroom.
“I am not suicidal,” the actor repeated several times. Then he stood up and began yelling.
“And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself,” Smollett announced.
His defense attorneys asked that Smollett be released pending appeal multiple times but the judge denied all of their requests.
“I am not suicidal,” Smollett yelled and held his fist up in the air in a black power salute as he was led from the courtroom by officers.
But an appeals court ordered Smollett’s release pending the outcome of his appeal just a week later.
The court order set a $150,000 recognizance bond which does not require any up-front money, and only required Smollett to sign the bond to get out of jail, according to New York Post.
Smollett’s attorneys have argued that the actor’s conviction was unconstitutional because he had already made a deal with prosecutors and forfeited $10,000.
In the song “Thank You God” released on April 8, Smollett defended himself and maintained his innocence.
It’s like they’re hell-bent on not solving the crime.
Taking out the elements of race and trans and homophobia that’s straight taking lives.
But turn around and act like I’m the one that killed the strides.
Maybe we stick together, maybe we read more.
Instead of saying that ‘it’s above me now’ – brother you sure?
I can’t be mad. Take my ego out.
Some people searching for fame, some people chasing that clout.
Just remember this, this ain’t that situation.
You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?
Just simply to look like a victim, like it’s something fun.
Y’all better look at someone else, you got the wrong one.
But I wanna thank y’all, I know I still got you.
This is for the people who kept it real, who kept it true.
Wait. Let me rephrase that cuz the narrative they played,
I really over-stand the reason why y’all felt betrayed.
They had my own people thoughts going off the wall.
That’s why from L.D. to Don, I still got love for y’all.
I know we’ll meet again, talk like real men.
Instead of sharing shade on rooms and up on CNN.
Thunder’s mad loud, still I’m pushing through the clouds.
All I ever really wanted to do was make my people proud.
Fame is nothing real, it’s how you make them feel.
Celebrity is for the birds, I ain’t no Man of Steel.
The actor said any profits from the song would be donated to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, STB Safety, and the Illinois Innocence Project, which is run by Smollett’s family, the New York Post reported.
Smollett’s new single was met with derision on social media and garnered lackluster clicks on music platforms.
True story: Jussie Smollet just released a song proclaiming his innocence. I assume it’s streaming on LIE-tunes.
— Jimmy Failla (@jimmyfailla) April 9, 2022
Jussie Smollett wrote a rap song… or, did he?
— Paul Lander (@paul_lander) April 10, 2022
Headline @Not_the_Bee
Jussie Smollet has released a new song in which he proclaims his innocence of the fake hate hoax he tried to pull off and slams police for "not solving the crime" 🤣 pic.twitter.com/voeTphpgmk
— MiniTrue Archive (@MiniTrueArchive) April 10, 2022
Check out Smollett’s song declaring his innocence in the video below:
Jussie Smollett put out a new song on his Instagram today with some interesting lyrics: “You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation? Just simply to look like a victim like it’s something fun. Ya’ll better look at someone else. You got the wrong one” pic.twitter.com/3G6OuKb7WQ
— Unaccetable Garuda17 (@Garuda17Qi) April 9, 2022
Holly Matkin
