For anyone who’s spent the last week scrolling through Netflix, one title has likely stood out: The Truth About Jussie Smollett? The new documentary, directed by Gagan Rehill and released on August 22, 2025, plunges viewers back into one of Hollywood’s most contentious and bizarre legal sagas. Six years after the original incident, debate still rages over whether Jussie Smollett—a talented actor and singer best known for his role on Empire—was the victim of a hate crime or the architect of an elaborate hoax.
Smollett’s story catapulted into the national spotlight in January 2019, when he told Chicago police he’d been attacked by two white men hurling racist and homophobic slurs while he walked home from work. The alleged assailants, he claimed, poured liquid on him and threw a rope around his neck, nearly choking him. The public’s reaction was swift: celebrities, politicians, and Empire producers rushed to his defense. In a statement obtained by Variety, Fox Entertainment said, “We send our love to Jussie, who is resilient and strong, and we will work with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice. The entire studio, network, and production stands united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate — and especially against one of our own.”
But as the days ticked by, the narrative began to unravel. Chicago police soon arrested two Nigerian-American brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo—both of whom had worked with Smollett on Empire. The brothers confessed that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to stage the attack, with every detail—from the slurs to the rope—carefully orchestrated. According to PEOPLE, the Chicago Police Department’s initial statement was clear: “Given the severity of the allegations, we are taking this investigation very seriously and treating it as a possible hate crime.”
Yet, after the Osundairo brothers’ confession, police found inconsistencies in Smollett’s story. They asked for his phone records; he initially refused. When police eventually obtained his text messages, they discovered exchanges with one of the brothers that seemed to reference the planned attack. Smollett, however, insisted these messages were about buying herbal steroids, not staging a crime. In the Netflix documentary, Smollett explains, “I’m embarrassed to say this, but it was for an herbal steroid that was illegal in the US that can be gotten in Nigeria, and it was to lose belly fat. I wrote a check to my trainer for a five-week period, which is the time that he was supposed to be working. It’s a business check. That’s what it was for.”
Smollett was charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report and indicted on 16 felony counts. In a shocking twist, all charges were dropped on March 26, 2019, after he forfeited a $10,000 bond and performed 16 hours of community service. This move by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx sparked outrage among officials and prosecutors. The case was reopened in 2020 by a special prosecutor, and in 2021, Smollett was found guilty on five counts of lying to police. The following year, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay over $120,000 in damages. He served just six days before being released pending appeal.
The saga took yet another turn in 2024, when the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett’s conviction—not because the court found him innocent, but on the grounds that he had already completed an agreed-upon resolution and could not be prosecuted again for the same offense. By May 2025, Smollett settled a civil lawsuit with the city of Chicago by donating $50,000 to art centers and charity events. Through it all, Smollett has steadfastly maintained his innocence, telling his side of the story in the new Netflix film.
The Truth About Jussie Smollett? doesn’t take sides. Instead, it lays out never-before-seen footage and interviews with Smollett, investigators, legal experts, and the Osundairo brothers. The documentary, produced by the team behind The Tinder Swindler and Don’t F**k With Cats, asks viewers to decide for themselves: Who is telling the truth? According to TheGrio, reactions have been sharply divided. Some viewers finish the film believing Smollett is owed an apology, while others are convinced he got what he deserved.
Among the most debated elements in the documentary are claims from a hotel security guard and a neighbor, both of whom reported seeing a white man fleeing the scene. Supporters of Smollett argue this detail supports his original story, while critics counter that the bulk of the evidence—camera footage of the Osundairo brothers buying supplies, the $3,500 check, and their confession—points to a staged attack. The documentary also features commentary from journalists and Smollett’s supporters, such as Chelli Stanley, who claims that security guard Anthony Moore was pressured by Chicago police to change his statement about the race of the man he saw running away. As The Guardian’s Hannah J Davies put it, the documentary is “bold, shocking…and utter nonsense.”
For Smollett, the fallout from the scandal was swift and severe. Once a rising star, his career suffered a dramatic setback. Yet, he’s been working on a comeback. He made his feature directorial debut with B-Boy Blues in 2021, and in 2024, directed and starred opposite Vivica A. Fox in The Lost Holiday. Off-screen, he recently announced his engagement to actor Jabari Redd, and according to Entertainment Weekly, he’s set to headline season 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
Born June 21, 1982, in Santa Rosa, California, Smollett began his career as a child model and actor, appearing in films like The Mighty Ducks (1992) and North (1994), and starring in the ABC sitcom On Our Own alongside his siblings. His breakthrough came with Empire, where he played Jamal Lyon, a role that cemented his place in Hollywood and made him a symbol of both Black and LGBTQ+ representation on television. Smollett has never publicly admitted wrongdoing and continues to insist that he was attacked.
The Netflix documentary is just the latest chapter in a saga that has come to symbolize America’s polarized debates about race, justice, and celebrity. For some, Smollett’s case is a cautionary tale about the dangers of rushing to judgment and the complexities of truth in the age of social media. For others, it remains a clear-cut example of a public figure abusing his platform. As The Truth About Jussie Smollett? makes clear, the question at the heart of the case—was Smollett a victim or a perpetrator?—may never be settled to everyone’s satisfaction. But one thing is certain: the story, with all its twists and contradictions, isn’t fading from public memory anytime soon.
