Jussie Smollett Appeals Disorderly Conduct Conviction

Jussie Smollett is actively appealing his 2021 conviction for disorderly conduct related to a purported hate crime he claimed to have experienced in 2019, which he now maintains was real. He revealed in a recent interview that he has spent nearly $3 million of his own money on legal fees in his fight to clear his name. Despite being convicted and serving only six days of a 150-day sentence, Smollett insists he did not stage the attack and expresses frustration over being labeled a liar. He emphasized that he wants to avoid having a felony on his record for something he insists he did not do, stating, "It would be easier if I had in fact done this to say that I did it." Smollett's case is currently under review by the Illinois Supreme Court as he continues to focus on his career, including his recent film, The Lost Holliday.