Black Lives Matter Stands by Jussie Smollett After Guilty Verdict

Black Lives Matter is standing by Jussie Smollett after the actor was found guilty of staging his own January 2019 hate crime and making a false police report.

On Thursday, after deliberating for a total of more than nine hours, a jury found the former “Empire” star guilty on five of six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly falsely claiming he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two masked men in Chicago.

Prior to the verdict being read, Black Lives Matter and its Los Angeles chapter released a statement supporting Jussie that read, “So let’s be clear: we love everybody in our community... we can never believe police, especially the CPD over Jussie Smollett, a Black man who has been courageously present, visible, and vocal in the struggle for Black freedom.”

After the verdict, BLM L.A. leader Melina Abdullah told TMZ that the organization’s stance on Jussie, who was photographed attending a BLM protest in June 2020, has not changed. In fact, Abdullah says they refuse to abandon its supporters and stands on the principle that the justice system is corrupt.

Additionally, Jussie’s former “Empire” co-star Bryshere Gray, who played Hakeem Lyon on the FOX drama, told TMZ that he is also supporting his friend amid his legal woes.

“My prayers, love, and support is unwavering for my brother Jussie and the Smollett Family,” Bryshere told the outlet.

Back in January 2019, Jussie alleged to authorities that two masked men attacked him on his way home and yelled racial slurs. The actor also alleged that one of them wore a red hat, possibly a “Make America Great Again” cap, and that the two doused him with bleach and put a noose around his neck.

However, prosecutors claim that Jussie staged the attack and paid $3,500 to two brothers, Abimbola “Bola” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, to help him do so.

Per CBS2, Abimbola testified this week that Jussie contacted him and “explained that he wanted me to fake beat him up.”

Abimbola said he agreed “because I felt indebted to Jussie,” adding, “He also got me a stand-in role on ‘Empire,’ and I believed he could further my acting career.”

However, Jussie’s attorneys suggested that at least one of the brothers may have attacked Smollett because he was homophobic, a claim that Olabinjo has denied.

Jussie was originally indicted in March 2019 with 16 counts of disorderly conduct, but the charges were later dropped.

In early 2020, Jussie was charged with disorderly conduct again as prosecutors allege he “knew at the time.”

“There was no reasonable ground for believing that such an offense had been committed,” the indictment read.

Though Jussie faces a possible three-year prison sentence, TMZ reports that because he has no prior criminal record, it is unclear if he will get any jail time.