On Jan. 29, 2019—exactly five years ago today—an actor most people had never heard of until that day, Jussie Smollett, claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic hate crime perpetrated by two white Donald Trump supporters roaming the streets of Chicago at 2 a.m. in below-freezing conditions.
We must never forget how eagerly the mainstream media accepted Smollett's patently absurd claim that two Trump supporters even knew who he was, much less that they would go to such extreme lengths to track him down, beat him up, and put a noose around his neck. Democratic politicians and liberal celebrities were just as credulous. Vice President Kamala Harris called the alleged attack "a modern day lynching." Celebrity host Andy Cohen wrote: "THIS IS FUCKED UP TO THE CORE. CATCH THESE EVIL HOMOPHOBES AND LOCK THEM UP FOREVER."
NEVER FORGET: All the Libs Who Fell for the Jussie Smollett Hate Crime Hoax
Those two white Trump supporters turned out to be two Nigerian brothers in red MAGA hats who told police Smollett paid them—in the form of a traceable check for $3,500—to stage the hate crime. Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson slammed the actor for exploiting the "pain and anger of racism to promote his career."
Attempts to prosecute Smollett for lying to police about the hate crime he committed against himself were initially derailed due to the intervention of Michelle Obama's former chief of staff, but Smollett was eventually convicted on multiple counts of disorderly conduct in December 2021 and sentenced to 150 days in jail.
"You're not a victim of a racial hate crime, you're not a victim of a homophobic hate crime," Cook County judge James Linn told Smollett during sentencing. "You're just a charlatan pretending to be a victim of a hate crime, and that's shameful."
Smollett, who has been free on bond since March 2022 while his attorneys appealed his conviction, may finally be headed to jail after an Illinois appeals court upheld his conviction late last year. He continues to maintain his innocence. "If I had done this, I'd be a piece of shit," Smollett said.