Gay 39-year-old African American US actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty in December for planning a fake assault by paying two Nigerian brothers $3,500, and of lying to police in his depositions.
He was recently sentenced to almost five months in prison after being found guilty of falsely telling police he was the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime in 2019 – an attack prosecutors said he himself staged.
American actress Taraji P Henson is calling for Smollet’s freedom, just three days after his sentencing.
The Empire show Co-Star posted a black picture with the hashtag #FREEJUSSIE.
In her caption, she says the punishment ‘does not fit the crime’ and should be less severe.
I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime.
Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false.
No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal. He has already lost everything, EVERYTHING!
To me as an artist not able to create that in itself is punishment enough. He can’t get a job.
No one in Hollywood will hire him and again as an artist who loves to create, that is prison.
My prayer is that he is freed and put on house arrest and probation because in this case that would seem fair. Please #freejussie 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
TARAJI P HENSON.