Where is Jussie Smollett now six years after hate crime hoax scandal?

Over than six years after Jussie Smollett claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago, the former Empire star is working to rebuild his career in television, film, and music. After years of fallout from his high-profile 2019 arrest, the 42-year-old actor and singer is re-emerging with several new ventures that mark his most ambitious comeback yet.

Smollett, who is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, was once best known for his breakout role as Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama. He is now more widely recognised for his 2019 scandal that divided public opinion and led to years of courtroom battles.

The actorm 43, first appeared on screen as a child actor in The Mighty Ducks. He then became more widely known for starring in the smash-hit series Empire alongside Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

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But in January 2019, his career was derailed when he told police he had been brutally attacked in Chicago’s Streeterville neighbourhood. The actor, who is Black and openly gay, alleged that two men yelled slurs at him, doused him with an unknown substance and tied a noose around his neck in a sickening, racist attack.

Initially, Smollett received an outpouring of support. His family released a statement insisting, “Jussie was the victim of a violent and unprovoked attack. We want to be clear, this was a racial and homophobic hate crime. Jussie has told the police everything from the very beginning. His story has never changed, and we are hopeful they will find these men and bring them to justice.”

But police became suspicious as they investigated the incident as Jussie claimed the assailants were white. After questioning brothers Ola and Bola Osundairo, who worked as extras on the set of Empire, law enforcement was told that Smollett had paid them to stage the incident.

Smollett was arrested in February 2019 and charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. Though the Cook County State’s Attorney initially dropped the charges in March 2019, citing his community service and bond forfeiture, a special prosecutor later re-indicted him.

After a highly publicised trial, Smollett was convicted in 2021 on five felony counts of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 30 months of probation, including 150 days in jail. He served just six days before being released pending appeal.

In 2024 the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction, ruling that he had already fulfilled a plea agreement made years earlier. The following year Smollett and the city of Chicago reached a settlement, bringing the long-running legal battle to a close.

Despite his legal troubles, Smollett has managed to keep building his career. In August 2025 Netflix released a documentary featuring interviews with Smollett, police officers, lawyers, journalists and the Osundairo brothers called The Truth About Jussie Smollett.

In the special, Smollett once again defended himself, stating: “My story has never changed. My story has remained intact. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether someone likes me or doesn’t like me… The fact is, I didn’t do that. And that’s all that matters.”

Beyond the Netflix documentary that revisited his alleged hoax hate crime, Smollett is now set to return to FOX for the first time since his dismissal from Empire.

He will appear as a contestant on season four of the reality series Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, competing against fellow celebrities including Teresa Giudice, Johnny Manziel, Shawn Johnson East, Kody Brown, and Brittany Cartwright. The series is set to premiere on September 25, 2025.

Smollett is also shining a spotlight on his new music. He recently released his single Break Out, which has received a warm response from fans who praised his vocals and expressed excitement for his next project.

“He’s still a very good singer and an artist,” one supporter commented, while another described his return as “everything” they had been waiting for.

Smollett has also returned to the big screen with The Lost Holiday, the first film he has ever directed, starring Vivica A. Fox and Jabari Redd. The family drama, which received a big screening at the 2024 S.O.U.L Fest Film Festival x ABFF Global London at the BFI, explores themes of grief and acceptance.

The actor spoke about the personal experiences that inspired the film to Alt A Review, admitting: “It’s been almost a decade that my father passed away, the very same day that Empire ever aired on television. And so when the world kind of got to know me, I was dealing with this certain level of grief that I didn’t really know what to do with.

“I felt guilty for being so sad, but I couldn’t do anything about it. So I really tried to start channelling that into something. And somehow this story came up.”

Away from the cameras, Smollett has reportedly been focusing on his wellbeing. The actor checked himself into rehab in 2023. In June 2025, he shared the exciting news of his engagement to New York actor and producer Jabari Redd.

Smollett proposed to his partner with a diamond ring in Florence, Italy, and they celebrated the special moment with a glass of champagne. After he made the news public on Instagram, his little sister Jurnee Smollett commented: "Screaming with tears of joy! My whole heart loves both of you. Welcome to the family."

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