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Jussie Smollett is set to appear in an upcoming Netflix documentary addressing his widely publicized hoax case.
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">The film, titled <em>The Truth About Jussie Smollett?</em>, hails from RAW, the production company behind true-crime successes like <em>Don’t F**k with Cats</em> and <em>Tinder Swindler</em>. It is slated for release on the streaming platform on Aug. 22. The documentary is described as exploring “a shocking true story of an allegedly fake story that some now say might just be a true story.”</p>
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">Tom Sheahan and Tim Wardle are executive producing the project.</p>
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">In addition to Smollett's participation, the 90-minute documentary features interviews with various individuals involved in the case. These include police, lawyers, journalists, and investigators who reportedly claim to have unearthed new evidence. The film aims to present these competing narratives, with the tagline suggesting, "with Jussie himself, this compelling documentary invites the audience to decide for themselves who is telling <em>The Truth About Jussie Smollett?</em>"</p>
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">Director Gagan Rehill commented on the project, stating, "This story is a thrilling ride, and we were lucky enough to have access to the key players. I wanted this documentary to balance their competing narratives and to also use their compelling, colorful testimonies to thread the light and shade of the story through the film. But much more than that, I wanted this film to speak to the particular moment of rapid cultural change when this takes place in 2019; when, as a society, we were becoming more combative, more polarized, more divergent over our shared reality — when we began to lack a common singular Truth."</p>
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">Smollett, known for his role on Fox's <em>Empire</em>, faced accusations in 2019 of staging a homophobic attack in Chicago. A jury found him guilty in December 2021 of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. He served six days of a five-month jail sentence in 2022 before being released pending an appeal.</p>
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">In November 2024, his conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court. A judge ruled that a subsequent prosecution, after the case had already been resolved, violated his due process rights.</p>
<p class="paragraph larva // a-font-body-m ">Smollett has consistently maintained his innocence in previous interviews and has since returned to the film industry.</p>