Jussie Smollett Unravels In Bizarre Rant After Being Sentenced To Jail Time (VIDEO)

Disgraced former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett finally learned his fate on Thursday when an Illinois Circuit Court judge sentenced him to 150 days in the Cook County jail after he was convicted on 5 felony counts for lying to Chicago police when he allegedly staged a racist and homophobic hate crime against himself in January of 2019. 

After his sentencing was read, Smollett unraveled and lashed out at the judge in a truly bizarre moment. 

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Judge Berates Jussie Smollett As He’s Sentenced

In December of 2021, a jury found Smollett guilty of 5 of 6 class 4 felony counts of disorderly conduct stemming from false reports to police.

Then on Thursday, Smollett was sentenced by Cook County Judge James Linn to 30 months of felony probation, including 150 days in the county jail, and $120,106 in restitution to be paid to the city of Chicago.

The judge denied a request to suspend the sentence and ordered that Smollett be placed in immediate custody.

As he delivered his sentence, Judge James Linn slammed Smollett for being “profoundly arrogant and selfish and narcissistic,” adding that the actor has ruined both his life and his career. 

“The damage you’ve done to yourself is way beyond anything else than can happen to you from me,” Judge Linn said, according to NBC Chicago. “You are now a permanently convicted felon.”

Related: Jussie Smollett’s Only Black Juror Says The Noose Was Critical Evidence For Him

Jussie Smollett Unravels After He’s Sentenced To Jail Time

Smollett came unglued as he was being led away to his cell and began ominously yelling at the judge. 

“If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans in this country for over 400 years and the fears of the LGBT community,” Smollett said.

“Your Honor, I respect you and I respect the jury but I did not do this,” he added. “And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that.”

“I am innocent,” Smollett dramatically concluded as he raised his fist. “I could have said I am guilty a long time ago.”

You can watch a video of Smollett’s dramatic exit below.

Tucker Carlson discussed Smollett’s outburst on his show later that night – watch:

His Grandmother Steps In

Earlier in the hearing, Smollett had broken down crying as his family members begged the judge not to send him to jail, bizarrely citing the invasion of Ukraine as one of the reasons he should not do so.

Smollett’s 92-year-old grandmother even asked the judge to send her along to prison too if her grandson was sentenced. 

“I ask you, judge, not to send him to prison,” she said from the stand, according to Insider. “And if you do, send me along with him, okay? Thank you, your honor.”

Related: Black Lives Matter Throws Support Behind Jussie Smollett – ‘We Can Never Believe The Police’

Police Find Jussie Smollett Staged 2019 Hate Crime

Back in 2019, Smollett had claimed that he was jumped in Chicago, Illinois by two men who hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him while also shouting “this is MAGA country” and putting a noose around his neck.

However, when police investigated his claims, they concluded that he had allegedly staged the hate crime and paid two brothers to jump him in the hopes of raising his national profile enough that he could score a pay raise on “Empire.”

Prior to Smollett’s downfall in the court of public opinion, he was a “woke” leftwing Hollywood star who regularly rubbed shoulders with the likes of Barack and Michelle Obama, among others. 

Reactions To Jussie Smollett’s Sentencing

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) celebrated Smollett’s sentence, saying that justice had been served. 

“The criminal conviction of Jussie Smollett by a jury of his peers and today’s sentencing should send a clear message to everyone in the city of Chicago that false claims and allegations will not be tolerated,” she said. “The malicious and wholly fabricated claim made by Mr. Smollett resulted in over 1,500 hours of police work that cost the city over $130,000 in police overtime.”

Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin spoke out to slam both Smollett and Cook County prosecutor Kim Foxx, who had initially dropped all charges against Smollett before special prosecutor Dan Webb stepped in to charge him again.

“State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Jussie Smollett have undermined and disrespected every person across the country who has been the victim of a hate crime,” he said. “It will take much time for the wounds they inflicted on the justice system in Cook County to heal, but today the people of Chicago and Cook County finally got the justice they deserved in this case.”

Social media users got in on the action as well: 

https://twitter.com/ChristianWalk1r/status/1502075169111642115

Many Americans were angered by the apparent hate crime hoax committed by Jussie Smollett. They said the Hollywood actor played on the racial and political divides plaguing our country for his own personal gain. Actions have consequences and now Smollett knows his.

Do you feel that justice was served? Share this story to start a discussion.