Following an outburst after his sentencing, actor Jussie Smollett will receive a “mental health” test.
On Thursday night, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in prison after he was convicted on charges of disorderly conduct for creating a fake crime and lying to police about it in 2019. He also was sentenced to 30 months of probation, ordered to pay $125,000 in restitution, and slapped with a $25,000 fine.
After his sentencing, Smollett said, “I am innocent, and I am not suicidal.”
“If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of the black Americans in this country for over 400 years and the fears of the LGBTQ community,” he continued,” he continued.
Finally, he said, “Your honor, I respect you, and I respect the jury, but I did not do this. I am not suicidal, and if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself.”
In case you missed it:
NOW – Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation for lying to police and staging hate crime.pic.twitter.com/d2vHelSBoz
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) March 11, 2022
Chicago Tribune reporter Jason Meisner tweeted on Thursday night, “In response to Jussie Smollett’s comments about not being ‘suicidal’ the Cook County sheriff’s office says Smollett ‘will be given a comprehensive medical, mental health, and security assessment and will be placed in appropriate housing.'”
“Per jail protocol, Mr. Smollett will be tested for COVID-19 upon intake and will be offered vaccination if he has not previously been vaccinated for the virus, or the booster shot if he has already been vaccinated,” the sheriff’s office added.
"Per jail protocol, Mr. Smollett will be tested for COVID-19 upon intake and will be offered vaccination if he has not previously been vaccinated for the virus, or the booster shot if he has already been vaccinated," the sheriff says.
— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) March 11, 2022
In 2019, Smollett claimed two men attacked him in Chicago, Illinois, shouted racist and homophobic slurs, put a noose around his neck, and poured an unknown substance on him.
Celebrities and politicians, including then-President Donald Trump, expressed outrage shortly after Smollet first made the claim of the attack.
As police began to investigate, they found footage of the actor going to a Lowes with what looked like a noose around his neck following the alleged incident.
CNN notes, “About a month later, then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett allegedly paid two brothers $3,500 to stage the attack to take ‘advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career,’ saying the brothers confessed to the plot.”
In Dec. 2021, he was convicted on five of the six charges against him for filing a false police report about the incident.
