Jussie Smollett Says Hollywood Return Feels ‘Wonderful’

Jussie Smollett’s time in prison has stirred up a lot of controversy. The former “Empire” star was sentenced to 150 days in jail for faking a hate crime against himself. Jussie Smollett has returned to Hollywood after having a string of legal issues over the last three and a half years. He is now eager to be creating art once more.

Smollett opened up about his professional comeback as the director of the BET+ original film B-Boy Blues during a red carpet interview with ET’s Kevin Frazier at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Smollett acknowledged that obtaining the ability to return to a set and create after his legal controversy has been “wonderful.” He even confessed that he “never thought of myself as working my way back.”

This has always been the plan, to expand my empire, so to speak. To expand the level of what I want to do… to be able to usher in a new generation of artists and actors and these amazing talents.

B-Boy Blues, the movie based on James Earl Hardy’s book of the same name, stars Timothy Richardson, Ledisi, Brandee Evans, Heather B, Marquise Vilson, Jabari Redd, Broderick Hunter, and Thomas Mackie. Smollett’s directing debut comes three months after he was found guilty on five of the six counts of disorderly conduct with which he was accused. He was sentenced to 150 days in prison and 30 months of felony probation in March.

As he vehemently denied any involvement throughout his legal ordeal, Smollett also had a message for those who stood by him and encouraged him. In addition to his term, the former Empire actor was forced to pay the City of Chicago $120,106 in reparations and a $25,000 fine after reporting that he had been the victim of a hate crime in January 2019. When Smollett was released from Cook County Jail on bond and started serving his five-month term, his legal team was already preparing to appeal his conviction.

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