In the latest development in the long-running Jussie Smollett situation, the ex-"Empire" actor is set to appear in court on Thursday to face sentencing for falsely reporting to the police that he had experienced a hate crime. Previously, the actor, who is both Black and gay, was found guilty of falsely reporting a hate crime that was both anti-gay and anti-Black.

According to CNN, in the original incident, Smollett "told Chicago police that on a frigid night in January 2019 two unknown men attacked him, yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him, poured bleach on him and wrapped a noose around his neck."

After multiple celebrities and politicians rushed to defend him publicly, it was later found that Smollett had hired the two men who had "attacked" him and orchestrated the incident to drum up publicity for "Empire." However, throughout the trial, Smollett maintained his innocence, with the jury convicting him on five of six felony charges after nine hours of deliberations. The incident effectively ended the actor's career, as his character was written off of "Empire," and few to none opportunities have come up since then.

The CNN article goes on to reveal, "At the hearing Thursday afternoon, attorneys are first expected to argue before Judge Linn over the actor's request to toss the verdict or grant him a new trial...If Linn denies Smollett's request or defers a ruling, sentencing will proceed. Smollett's defense attorneys also have said they intend to appeal the verdict."

It seems that things are wrapping up with Smollett. We'll see on Thursday what the ex-actor's fate will be. For more entertainment news and commentary, please follow Enstarz! We bring you the latest on your favorite celebrities, TV shows, and films.  

Tags: Jussie Smollett Jussie Smollett legal case