Yep, that Jussie Smollett, former “Empire” actor, and he’s at it again! A big step on his personal horizon—he recently announced his engagement to Jabari Redd. One day shy of Smollett’s 43rd birthday, he had popped the question in front of a restaurant. The rapper got down on one knee and then posted the whole romantic surprise on Instagram, including breathtaking photos of the idyllic scene.
This new and surprising engagement follows some backup, and on Friday Smollett scored additional points in legal court. This November 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court stepped in. In their ruling, they vacated his 2021 conviction for allegedly filing a false police report regarding a hate crime that supposedly happened in 2019. The court highlighted that Smollett’s due process rights were violated and questioned the state’s commitment to uphold agreements made with defendants. This ruling marks the latest twist in Smollett’s still-evolving post-crime legal saga.
On the heels of this landmark ruling, Smollett recently settled with the city of Chicago. This agreement settles the expenses you have paid in connection with investigation of the reported staged hate crime event. Under the conditions of an earlier agreement from March 2019, he forfeited a $10,000 bond. He agreed to complete 40 hours of community service and make a donation to a local nonprofit that promotes arts and culture. On top of this planned donation, he has contributed $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center. This act demonstrates his empathy and solidarity with those who have undergone the same fight.
Smollett’s defense has reiterated from the beginning that Smollett is innocent of the charges against him. He said, “At the end of the day, these officials wanted my money and they wanted my confession for something that I didn’t do. For him, deciding to settle wasn’t very difficult. Now, he’s just ready to put his past behind him and focus on whatever lies ahead.
His sisters have been very supportive to his engagement. Jurnee Smollett shared her happiness in an emotional post, declaring her to be “screaming with tears of joy” on hearing the news. Jazz Smollett couldn’t contain her own excitement, posting an enthusiastic “Yaaaass!!!” to the comments of Jussie’s post.
The City of Chicago characterized the settlement as “a fair, constructive, and conclusive resolution, allowing all the parties to close this six-year-old chapter and move forward.” Despite this resolution, Smollett expressed that this ordeal “has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear.”
