Jussie Smollett Reflects On His 'Darkest Day' Five Years After Hate Crime Hoax Arrest

Jussie Smollett recently reflected on his "darkest day"—his arrest five years ago for allegedly staging a hate crime.

Despite facing multiple felony charges and a conviction for disorderly conduct, Smollett has maintained his innocence in the controversial case.

Jussie Smollett is now returning to acting with "The Lost Holliday," exploring family dynamics alongside Hollywood star Vivica A. Fox.

In a recent interview with People Magazine, Smollett opened up about the day of his arrest five years ago.

He shared, "That was a pretty dark day because that's when everything clicked to me of what was happening,"

Smollett continued: "A lot of things tested my strength, a lot of things tested my mental, but the one thing I never lost — I never started thinking that I am somebody that I'm not. That is the one thing that did not happen."

At the time, the 42-year-old actor was taken into custody after allegedly staging a hate crime, claiming two masked individuals assaulted him on January 29, 2019, by hurling racial and homophobic insults at him, placing a noose around his neck, and pouring bleach on him.

In March 2019, Smollett was indicted on 16 felony counts for disorderly conduct and filing a false police report, to which he entered a plea of not guilty. Eventually, all charges against him were dismissed.

However, following an extended investigation, Smollett faced six additional charges in 2020 for allegedly lying to law enforcement.

In December 2021, the "Empire" actor was convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for submitting false reports.

He received a five-month jail sentence, a $25,000 fine, and over $120,000 in restitution to cover the costs incurred by the Chicago Police Department during the investigation.

Smollett was released on bail just six days into his sentence, and his appeal is currently pending.

While speaking about his arrest, Smollett shared with People that he felt "numb" about the entire incident.

"I was numb. I didn't know how to connect the dots," the actor noted. "I really genuinely did not know."

He expressed confusion over public perception, stating, "I couldn't make sense of what was going on, and I couldn't make sense of what people were actually thinking … what exactly do they think happened? I couldn't put two and two together."

Through the ordeal, Smollett maintains his innocence, expressing that he felt exploited as a political pawn by both sides.

Smollett is making a comeback to the silver screen with a new project titled "The Lost Holliday."

The film, which opens Friday, September 27, in select AMC Theatres across the country, features Smollett as Jason Holliday alongside Vivica A. Fox, who portrays his mother-in-law, Cassandra Marshall.

The story centers on family dynamics, exploring the experiences of a same-gender-loving couple and the importance of acceptance.

"The Lost Holliday" is produced by A SuperMassive Movie, MegaMind Media, and Monami Entertainment and includes new music written by Smollett.

In an interview with Billboard, he called the score of the movie "very special."

Smollett elaborated on the synergy between writing music and screenplays, stating, "I've been so blessed and a little lucky to be able to do certain projects that just so happen to have a musical component; particularly, obviously 'Empire.'"

He added: "That was just a perfect kind of marriage of so many of my loves. Music has always been the driving force behind everything I do."

In a recent interview on iHeart Radio's "The Breakfast Club," Lee Daniels expressed his willingness to collaborate with Smollett despite the alleged hate crime hoax.

Describing Smollett as "a son" following their work together on the successful Fox series "Empire," which aired from 2015 to 2020, Daniels stated, "I'd cast him in something. He was a son to me. He also represented me, and he also represented the movement that I tried to start, which I didn't know I was starting."

The director also admitted that the "whole situation was complicated" to him, adding, "I still don't know what to believe. Honestly, I don't know what to believe. People say he didn't do it, he did do it. God bless him on his journey."