An Illinois appeals court on Friday denied Jussie Smollett’s appeal and upheld his conviction of faking a homophobic and racist attack.
Legal documents indicated that a three-judge panel heard his appeal and voted 2-1 to uphold his conviction, according to TMZ. This suggests the disgraced actor will face mandatory jail time, and will be forced to complete his 150-day sentence for his involvement in the hoax that gripped the headlines in 2019.
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The documents suggest the former star will be remanded to Chicago jail to serve his remaining prison term, according to TMZ.
Smollett was initially convicted in 2022, but only spent a total of 6 days in Cook County Jail. He was released while attempting to have his sentence overturned.
His legal team maintains the right to appeal the decision to the Illinois Supreme Court, which would then decide whether or not they will be hearing the case, according to TMZ.
Smollett originally claimed he was attacked and beaten by two masked men and told police they shouted homophobic and racial slurs at him. He alleged they put a noose on his head and poured bleach on him. A police investigation into the matter later determined his scratches and bruises were self-inflicted, and the actor admitted he paid two men $3,500 to stage the attack on him, according to The Guardian.
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Police also determined that hate mail sent to Fox Studios and addressed to Smollett was actually sent by the actor himself. He admitted to creating the dramatic lie to get attention because he was unhappy with his salary on the television show, “Empire.” (RELATED: Jussie Smollett’s Lawyers Appeal Hate Crime Hoax Conviction)
Smollett has kept busy in spite of his legal battle. He has dropped new music and directed a new film during his appeals process.
