Lee Daniels Confirms He Would Work with Jussie Smollett Again After “Hoax Attack” Conviction: “He Was a Son to Me”

Jussie Smollett‘s hoax attack conviction has been thrust back into the spotlight today following Lee Daniels‘ appearance today (August 19) on The Breakfast Club.

The director is hot on the promotional trail for his latest movie ‘The Deliverance’ alongside its lead star Andra Day.

During his visit to the Power 105.1 show, Daniels was asked about the status of his relationship with Smollett – whose career he helped catapult on his hit show ‘Empire.’

Having gone on record to admit to losing contact with Smollett in the aftermath of the 2020 incident, Daniels delivered a different take when quizzed about where he is with the actor now and his future.

Full story below…

When Smollett’s name was brought up, Daniels said:

“We text each other. He has a movie that’s coming out. I haven’t seen it yet.

Look, it’s so complicated. It’s so complicated. Life is so complicated.

Life itself is complicated. That whole situation was complicated. And I still don’t know what to believe. When people say he did do it, he didn’t do it. God Bless him on his journey.”

When quizzed by Charlamagne about whether there is room for him to come back given the disparity between the chances Black stars face in comparison to their fairer-skinned peers, Daniels didn’t hesitate in replying:

“I’d work with him again. I’d cast him in somwthing. He was a son to me.”

Check out the clip:

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As reported, Smollett recently completed a rehab stint for undisclosed addiction issues.

Watch the full interview: