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Actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months probation on Thursday for making a false report to Chicago police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019.

The big picture: The former "Empire" star, who is Black and gay, told police two men attacked him in what he described as a hate crime. He was convicted last December on five counts of lying to police but has maintained he was telling the truth.

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Actor Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police

He was convicted last December, but has maintained he was telling the truth about a hate crime attack.

 Actor Jussie Smollett appears at his sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building on March 10, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. 

Actor Jussie Smollett appears at his sentencing hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago on Thursday. Photo: Brian Cassella-Pool/Getty Images

Jussie Smollett

Actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months probation on Thursday for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="making a false report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/chicag-police-track-jussie-smollett-coconspirators-citywide-surveillance-04dd73d5-2866-4589-8ae8-346c07d0c48c.html" data-vars-content-id="a7442e6e-58c2-45f5-ac6d-fa21e6c8b405" data-vars-headline="Actor Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/chicag-police-track-jussie-smollett-coconspirators-citywide-surveillance-04dd73d5-2866-4589-8ae8-346c07d0c48c.html" target="_self">making a false report</a> to Chicago police that he was the victim of a hate crime in January 2019.The big picture: The former &quot;Empire&quot; star, who is Black and gay,<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" told police two men attacked" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/timeline-jussie-smollett-case-390cb1fb-656c-4b28-9355-aed15d755ea0.html" data-vars-content-id="a7442e6e-58c2-45f5-ac6d-fa21e6c8b405" data-vars-headline="Actor Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/timeline-jussie-smollett-case-390cb1fb-656c-4b28-9355-aed15d755ea0.html" target="_self"> told police two men attacked</a> him in what he described as a hate crime. He <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="was convicted last December" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/jussie-smollett-guilty-staging-attack-verdict-appeal-da6e0bef-a37a-4401-8943-e83c103dd77b.html" data-vars-content-id="a7442e6e-58c2-45f5-ac6d-fa21e6c8b405" data-vars-headline="Actor Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/jussie-smollett-guilty-staging-attack-verdict-appeal-da6e0bef-a37a-4401-8943-e83c103dd77b.html" target="_self">was convicted last December</a> on five counts of lying to police but has maintained he was telling the truth.

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Actor Jussie Smollett sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police

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