Former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett, who experienced a meteoric rise to fame followed by a spectacular and irreversible fall from grace, is entering a rehabilitation facility.
Smollett’s rep did not specify the reason for the rehab stint but informed TMZ that he needs to take a hiatus from his career in order to recover.
“Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years,” the rep said in a statement. “He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps.”
The star of the defunct “Empire” blockbuster series experienced a rapid descent into disrepute when he lied about getting beaten by racist Donald Trump supporters in January 2019 in Chicago. He told the police that two MAGA disciples ambushed him in the middle of the night, barked homophobic and racist slurs at him, poured bleach on his head, and tied a noose around his neck. However, when his story quickly unraveled, he was resoundingly denounced by the police department, crucified by major political figures in Chicago and Washington, and mocked from coast to coast by fans and comedians alike.
Smollett’s rehabilitation takes place during his appeal in that Chicago criminal case. Smollet was temporarily jailed — and then released less than a week later — after being convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct for providing false information to law enforcement officers about the faux assault.
In March 2022, a Cook County judge castigated Smollett before sentencing him to 150 days behind bars followed by 30 months of felony probation. He was also ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago and fined $25,000.
Even though the nature of the rehab visit was not made known at this time, the Osundairo brothers, Bola and Ola, who took part in the fake beating, told the media on multiple occasions that they, working as extras on the set of “Empire,” routinely supplied Smollett with illicit narcotics on a regular basis.
