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New reports reveal that Jussie Smollett is entering rehab following the high-profile case of his 2019 hate crime hoax. A representative for the ex-Empire star told TMZ he's in an outpatient program, though it's unclear what Smollett's getting treatment for.
"Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps,” a representative said in a statement.
Smollett, a gay Black man, is appealing his conviction after he was found guilty of lying to Chicago police and carrying out the scheme with Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo. Smollett paid the brothers $3,500 to stage a homophobic and racist attack on the actor on December 29, 2019.
Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation in March 2022 and was supposed to serve the first 150 days of his sentence in Cook County Jail. He was released early after six days.
Police accused The Skinny actor of concocting the hoax to enrich himself and propel his career further. The actor has maintained his innocence throughout the endeavor.
Earlier this year, the Osundairo brothers revealed more details about the staged attack in a FOX docuseries about the event.
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