*Jussie Smollett is doubling down on his claim that he was the victim of a real hate crime in 2019—and says Netflix is about to back him up.
While speaking to a small group of community leaders and criminal justice advocates on Chicago’s South Side Monday, the former “Empire” star said a new Netflix documentary will include footage he says supports his long-standing version of events, Block Club Chicago reports.
“It’ll make sense when y’all watch it,” Smollett said at the Chicago Torture Justice Center, where he had previously donated $10,000. “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.”
Titled “The Truth About Jussie Smollett?” the 90-minute documentary is set to premiere August 22. Produced by Raw and directed by Gagan Rehill, the film marks Smollett’s first full participation in a documentary about his case.
Smollett said the footage was obtained by investigative journalists through the Freedom of Information Act and was intended for use in his 2021 trial—but his legal team received it too late.
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“[The footage] was brought to my lawyers a couple days before we started trial… we already got our defense, so it’s too late to bring that in,” he explained. “They did not go with the truth. They went with defending against the lies.”
Smollett’s conviction for filing a false police report was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court last year. He later settled with the City of Chicago by donating to local organizations.
Despite controversy, Smollett emphasized his connection to the city. “I’m good on these Chicago streets,” he said. “The people show love.”
Smollett said his new mission is clear: “To make people feel less alone.”
Per Deadline, Netflix describes “The Truth About Jussie Smollett?” as a “shocking true story of an allegedly fake story that some now say might just be a true story.”
