Jussie Smollett Appeals Conviction As Fox Unveils New Docuseries, ‘Anatomy of a Hoax’

Mya Abraham
·2 min read
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Jussie Smollett has filed a formal appeal to overturn his 2021 conviction of falsely reporting a hate crime.

The former Empire actor was found guilty in December 2021 on five counts of felony disorderly conduct for making false reports to police after a two-day deliberation from the jury, according to CNN.

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In the court documents filed earlier today (March 2) as shared by Deadline, his attorney Heather Widell wrote, “The renewed prosecution of Mr. Smollett violated his due process rights because (1) Mr. Smollett fully performed his part of a non-prosecution agreement with the state by performing community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bail bond; and (2) the state benefited from taking and keeping Mr. Smollett’s bail bond without performing its end of the bargain. Thus, the violation of due process was prejudicial and requires reversal of Mr. Smollett’s convictions and a dismissal of the charges against him.”

The filing later mentioned, “In the present case, instances of prosecutorial misconduct were clear and egregious.”

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 10: Actor Jussie Smollett listens as his grandmother Molly testifies at his sentencing hearing on March 10, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. Jussie Smollett was found guilty late last year of lying to police about a hate crime after he reported to police that two masked men physically attacked him, yelling racist and anti-gay remarks near his Chicago home in 2019. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months probation, ordered to pay $120,000 restitution to the city of Chicago and fined $25,000. (Photo by Brian Cassella-Pool/Getty Images)

Shortly before the filing, Fox announced the arrival of the forthcoming docuseries on the controversy titled, Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax. The five-part documentary is centered around the 2019 scandal and will include first-time interviews with brothers Abimbola (Abel) and Olabinjo Osundairo, who were part of the complex ruse. Smollett previously claimed he and Abel were romantically involved and that the incident was not a hoax.

“Anatomy of a Hoax takes a deep dive into a scam that reverberated through the worlds of entertainment, pop culture and politics. We’re excited for viewers to hear the real stories behind this scandal from the Osundairo brothers for the very first time,” said John Finley, Fox Nation’s Executive VP, said in a statement.

The docuseries is slated to premiere on March 13. .

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