Jussie Smollett has released a new song three weeks after being released from Cook County Jail in Chicago, Illinois, pending an appeal of his conviction for staging a hate crime.
On Friday, the Empire star, 39, took to Instagram and posted a lyric video set to his new song, Thank You God, in which he discusses his recent legal troubles.
‘Some people searching for fame / Some people chasing that clout / Just remember this … this ain’t that situation / You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?’ he sings.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe actor says that “100% of the profits” from the song will go to the Rainbow Push Coalition, the Illinois Innocence Project, and Secure the Bag Safety.
After being sentenced to five months in prison, the actor was released from jail on March 16 pending his appeal.
He was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct after a jury determined he lied to police in January 2019 and again since then, claiming he was attacked by two white, homophobic Trump supporters.
In actuality, the men, were two black brothers who say Smollett paid them to carry out the attack in order to boost his celebrity.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen Smollett filed a report with Chicago police on January 29, 2019, his claims sparked a media storm.
Compassion for the ‘battered’ actor started pouring in from the entertainment industry and fans in general, and authorities launched a taxpayer-funded manhunt for his alleged attackers.
He was found guilty in December 2021, sentenced this month, and released six days later.
