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Authorities apparently took no chances after disgraced actor Jussie Smollett’s outburst upon being sentenced to jail time for charges related to his staging of a hate crime hoax against himself.
On Thursday, March 10th, former Empire actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and a fine of $25,000 for his part in orchestrating a hate crime hoax against himself. He was also ordered to pay $120,106 in restitution because of the time spent by police investigating the fake crime that would have otherwise been spent investigating the real, skyrocketing crime in Chicago.
While Smollett has since been released from jail pending an appeal (because his appeal process wouldn’t have been over until after his jail sentence had already concluded), the fact remains that his short stint in jail was still an odd one.
Smollett’s brother revealed on Sunday, March 13th that authorities placed Jussie in a psychiatric ward.
Jussie repeatedly shouted, “I am not suicidal, and I am innocent” as he exited the courtroom.
The statement was seen by many as a nod to other famous/infamous inmates like Jeffrey Epstein and John McAfee, who both allegedly committed suicide while incarcerated, though a significant number of people believe that both Epstein and McAfee were “suicided,” a.k.a. killed in a way that made it appear that they committed suicide.
Social media immediately lit up with both hilarious memes/comments, and concerns/questions after Smollett’s bizarre statement, with people wondering why he would think that he could possibly be “suicided,” and others making the assumption that Jussie planned to commit suicide and was such a narcissist that he wanted fame even in death, so he wanted people to add him to the conspiracy list of “suicided” famous people.
NBC News reported on the odd outburst, writing:
In January 2019, the former “Empire” star claimed two white men had beaten him up in a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago.
The alleged “crime” devoured hours of police time before Smollett’s story fell apart. He was arrested in February 2019, and in December he was found guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct for making a false report to police.
Smollett had a meltdown after his sentence was announced last week, shouting, “I am not suicidal. If anything happens to me when I go in there, you must all know that.”
WATCH:
Jussie Smollett after the sentencing: “I am not suicidal. If anything happens to me when I go in there, you must all know that.” pic.twitter.com/xe2wYpQJ4O
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) March 11, 2022
Jussie’s brother, Jocqui Smollett, confirmed via a post on Instagram that the disgraced actor was put in what he called a “psych ward” and was described by authorities as “at risk of self-harm.”
The Instagram video was shared to Twitter. WATCH:
Jocqui Smollett says his brother Jussie Smollett has been placed in a psych ward in jail:
“What's very concerning is that there was a note attached to his paperwork today saying that he's at risk of self-harm … he is in no way, shape, or form at risk of self harm.” pic.twitter.com/rI0Dmsmmep
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 13, 2022
Jocqui Smollett said that the label put on his brother was inaccurate and continued to push the family’s claims that Jussie is a victim:
“I want to just make it clear to folks that he is in no way, shape, or form at risk of self-harm,” the actor’s brother said. “And he wants to let folks know that that he is very stable, he is very strong, he is very healthy and ready to take on the challenge that ultimately has been put up against him.”
“This is not right. This is a complete lack of justice. It’s angering. It’s an outrage,” he said.
Jocqui also stated that his family was not told why Jussie had been put in a psychiatric ward.
Several theories have been shared on social media as to the reasons behind the trip to the psych ward, but one seems to make more sense than the rest: Jussie may be trying to “play the mentally unstable card” to avoid going into the general population of the jail.
This is exactly why Jussie played the mentally unstable card… He is doing what ever he possibly can to prevent going to general population.. https://t.co/u9cUjpes6B
— Salty Irish☘Girl 🇺🇲 (@IrishAmerican27) March 14, 2022
In an email sent on Monday, March 14th, to The Western Journal, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office said that Smollett “is not being held in solitary confinement.”
“The use of solitary confinement was abolished at the Cook County Jail in 2016, and any claims that he is being held in this manner is false,” the sheriff’s office said in the email. “Mr. Smollett is being housed in his own cell, which is monitored by security cameras in the cell and by an officer wearing a body-worn camera who is stationed at the entrance of the cell to ensure that Mr. Smollett is under direct observation at all times.
“As with all detained persons, Mr. Smollett is entitled to have substantial time out of his cell in the common areas on the tier where he is housed, where he is able to use the telephone, watch television, and interact with staff. During such times out of cell, other detainees will not be present in the common areas,” the email continued. “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 safety and security of all detained individuals, including Mr. Smollett, is the Sheriff’s Office’s highest priority,” the email concluded.
