Jussie Smollett’s legal team wants the embattled actor to be released from the Cook County Jail in Illinois because he is facing “dangerous threats.”
Former ‘Empire’ star Jussie Smollett was sentenced Thursday to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation for lying about a racist and homophobic attack.The 39-year-old entertainer has allegedly received “vicious threats” on social media that “no doubt reflect the hatred and wish for physical harm toward Smollett which he may experience during incarceration,” the filing said.
The Smollett family allegedly received a threatening phone call about the actor and released the audio of it on Monday. The caller allegedly said that Smollett would be assaulted in jail in the way thatSmollett’s family members have been using his officialaccount to share updates about the “Underground Railroad” actor, stating over the weekend that he was “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.
In a video update on Monday, his brother Jocqui Smollett said that Smollett had been moved out of the “psych ward” he was originally placed in and into a jail with a regular bed, rather than one with restraints. Before that, Smollett’s brother said the actor had a note in his cell that said he is at risk of self-harm.
Upon sentencing, Jussie Smollett delivered an impassioned speech in which he insisted that he was not suicidal. But he was placed in a medical facility at the Cook County Jail, where individuals with higher levels of medical or mental health needs receive treatment. The facility also can be used for protective custody — which Smollett’s attorneys have requested — according to a spokesperson for the jail.
The Cook County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment. However, a spokesperson told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that “it would be inaccurate and irresponsible to make any assumption about his mental or medical condition based on where he is currently housed.”
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