Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett is best known as an American actor, breaking onto the scene with a role in 1991’s The Mighty Ducks. He continued acting in films and TV series such as On Our Own, The Skinny, Underground, The Tale of Four, Alien: Covenant and Marshall. In 2015, Smollett landed the role of musician Jamal Lyon on Fox’s Empire. He stayed on the show until 2019 amid his alleged hoax scandal.

Smollett, who is openly gay, claimed in 2019 that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago. He was later accused of staging the incident and was arrested for felony disorderly conduct for making a false police statement. The actor denied the claims and the case was ultimately dismissed weeks later.

In 2020, a special prosecutor reopened the case and indicted Smollett, claiming that he knew “that he was not the victim of a crime.” Smollett pleaded not guilty to the charges before a trial took place in December 2021. He was convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 150 days in jail. Smollett served five days before being released from custody in March 2022. His conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court in November 2024.

Smollett wrote, directed and starred in June 2024’s The Last Holliday, which was his first acting role since the alleged scandal.

Smollett announced in June 2025 that he was engaged to his boyfriend, Jabari Reed.