Dec 9, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Jussie Smollett found guilty of staging attack, will appeal verdict

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building to hear the verdict in his trial on December 9, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois.

Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett arrives at the Leighton Criminal Courts Building to hear the verdict in his trial on in Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty on Thursday of making a false report to Chicago police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019, per the Washington Post.

The big picture: The 39-year-old former "Empire" star, who is Black and gay, reported to police that he was the victim of a hate crime when two men violently attacked him. Prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a hoax attack on himself. An attorney for Smollett said after the verdict he's "100% innocent" and would file an appeal, per AP.

Go deeper