Less than a week after Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail for a hoax hate crime against himself, the embattled singer-actor has already seen his short stay behind bar riddled with controversy.
First, his brother – Jocqui Smollett – took to social media to reveal the former ‘Empire’ star was placed under psychiatric care from fear of ‘self-harm’ despite the 39-year-old’s court outburst to assert the contrary.
Next, the #FreeJussie movement took flight and saw names like Academy & EMMY Award nominee Taraji P. Henson among the notable names on board.
Now, the initiative’s charging full steam ahead with Jussie’s defense team mounting a list of reasons why he needs to be freed immediately.
After one of Smollett’s siblings reported they’d received ‘vicious threats’ via a slew of phone calls following the star’s jail sentencing, his defense team moved forward with filing a motion for immediate jail release.
In the motion they suggest protective custody won’t be enough to keep him safe as it would ultimately act as “solitary confinement” which could inflict “extraordinary damage on his mental health.” What’s more, they assert his “compromised immune system” makes his “potential exposure” to Covid-19 a “serious health risk” if he remains detained.
The news comes shortly after sources connected to Jussie said he believed his race was a key factor in his sentencing.
According to TMZ, the singer-actor fully expected to get jail time before his sentencing and allegedly told his defense team he would likely be treated more harshly because of his skin color.
The sentiment was echoed by his younger sister – award-winning actress Jurnee Smollett. Click here to read her statement.