The family of disgraced former Empire actor Jussie Smollett says he has been put in a psychiatric ward and considered a suicide risk, despite being mentally sound.
It’s the latest twist in the fate of Smollett, who was convicted in December of faking a 2019 hate crime against himself, in what police said was an attempt to build public sympathy.
“What’s very concerning is that there was a note attached to his paperwork today saying that he’s at risk of self-harm,” his brother Jocqui Smollett said in a video posted to Jussie’s Instagram account on Saturday. “He is in no way, shape, or form at risk of self-harm.”
"He is very stable. He is very strong. He is very healthy and ready to take on the challenge that has ultimately has been put up against him," Jocqui added.
The video doesn’t include any proof of the claims.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office did not directly answer The Independent’s questions about whether Smollett was under mental health watch, though it said in a statement he is not in solitary confinement, instead being held “under direct observation at all times” in his own cell.
“These protocols are routinely used for individuals ordered into protective custody who may potentially be at risk of harm due to the nature of their charges, their profession, or their noteworthy status,” the CSSO added in its statement. “The safety and security of all detained individuals, including Mr Smollett, is the Sheriff’s Office’s highest priority.”
“Your Honor, I respect you and I respect the jury but I did not do this. And I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself. And you must all know that,” the actor said during his sentencing.
The TV star’s family has been mounting a #FreeJussie campaign on social media since the actor was sentenced to five months in prison for staging the attack against himself and lying to police. Smollett is also ordered to serve 30 months of felony probation and pay $121,106 in restitution to the city of Chicago, as well as a $25,000 fine.
“Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of White Americans. Jussie is innocent,” the Smollett family wrote on social media on Saturday. “And … you don’t have to believe in his innocence to believe he should be free.”
Jussie Smollett asked in February for a new trial, arguing the jury selection process created "questionable impartiality" during the case itself.
In December, the actor was found guilty on five of six charges related to claims he made in 2019 that he was the victim of an anti-Black and anti-gay hate attack in Chicago.
Police later detained two men, who said they’d been recruited by Smollett to stage the attack, which he denies.
After his conviction, a special prosecutor sharply criticised the Empire actor for a “completely ridiculously story” that wasted public time and resources.
“Twenty-six Chicago officers spent 3,000 hours of time costing the city well over $100,000 for a fake crime that never occurred," Mr Webb said at the time. "And by the way, a fake crime that denigrates what a real-hate crime is and to use these meanings and symbols that are so important in our society. It’s clear why the police would take it seriously."
The case had a long and winding history. The charges against Smollett were initially dropped, before being renewed under the appointment of the special prosecutor. The city of Chicago has an ongoing civil suit against Smollett for wasting police resources.
