Jussie Smollett is back in the headlines, and this time, he’s pushing to rewrite the narrative surrounding one of the most controversial incidents of the past decade. The former Empire actor says a new Netflix documentary will finally prove what he’s maintained all along, that the attack he reported in 2019 was real and not staged.
In case you missed it, Smollett, who was convicted in 2021 for filing a false police report, now says key evidence that supports his side was never brought to light during his trial. Speaking to community leaders in his hometown of Chicago, Smollett claimed he has video footage that validates his original statement to authorities.
“They found the actual footage of the people that jumped me, and it just corroborates every single thing that I’ve said for the last almost seven years,” he said, according to Block Club Chicago.
The upcoming documentary, The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, is set to debut on August 22. The film will feature Smollett’s first televised interview since the controversy erupted and promises to offer a deep dive into what he calls the mishandling of evidence. According to Smollett, the footage now featured in the documentary was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, but did not arrive in time to be used during his court case.
The doc reportedly includes never-before-seen material that Smollett says will challenge the public perception that the entire incident was a hoax.
This is super interesting and seems like the narrative we’ve been led to believe may not be as crystal clear as some might want us to think.