“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett checks into rehab after 'extremely difficult past few years'
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Jussie Smollett is seeking help at a rehab facility after a difficult few years in the public eye.
EW has confirmed that the Empire actor, 41, has entered an outpatient treatment program, though no specific details on his care or the length of the program have been revealed.
TMZ first reported the news, obtaining a statement from a representative for Smollett that said, "Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps."
A representative for Smollett declined to comment further to EW.
Rachel Luna/Getty Images Jussie Smollett
Known for playing R&B musician and middle son Jamal Lyon on the Fox series Empire, which ran from 2015 to 2020, Smollett has kept a low profile since being sentenced to jail time and probation last year for staging a hate crime.
The winding, highly publicized case dates back to January 2019, when Smollett, a gay Black man, told Chicago police that two men attacked him, yelled racist and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown chemical substance on him, and wrapped a rope around his neck.
A month later, prosecutors charged Smollett with filing a false report. The charges were dropped in March 2019, but Smollett was indicted again on similar charges a year later. Prosecutors maintained that Smollett orchestrated the attack with the two men — brothers who testified that the actor paid them to do so — to gain publicity. Smollett was convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct in December 2021.
The following March, Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, with the first 150 days to be served in county jail. He was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago. A few days after his sentencing, an appeals court agreed to release Smollett pending the appeal of his conviction, which is ongoing. Smollett has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and testified that "there was no hoax."
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