The Cook County Jail has released Jussie Smollett. Below is a video of the actor leaving the jail and getting into a vehicle.
Jussie Smollett is officially released from jail pending appeal of his conviction.
AP reports that Jussie Smollett has been released from jail after appealing his conviction for staging a hate crime and making a false report to police.
He was being held in protective custody in Cook County jail in Illinois when he was sentenced to 150 days on Thursday. In his plea, the Empire actor maintained his innocence and declared that he is not suicidal. “I am not suicidal. And if anything happens to me when I go in there, I did not do it to myself,” he said. “And you must all know that.”
At the time, Smollett was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and $120,106 in restitution. He was also given 30 months probation.
During the appeals process, Smollett's lawyers argued that their client would serve the entirety of his sentence, plus his claim that being behind bars would put him in danger following his conviction. Sean Wieber, deputy special prosecutor, denied the lawyers' position and warned against setting a precedent for those who think they should be free when facing sentences less than a few years.
In order to be released following a 2-1 decision in appeals court, Smollett must post a $150,000 personal recognizance bond, which means he can simply agree to appear in court on the appointed date without putting any money down.
In the early hours of Jan. 29, 2019, Smollett claims he was walking on the streets of Chicago when two masked white men hurled racial and homophobic insults at him before attacking him and tying a rope around his neck. Although both attackers have since been identified as Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, both of whom worked with Smollett on Empire, he has repeatedly denied staging the incident.