Jussie Smollett is speaking about his alleged 2019 homophobic attack for the first time

The former Empire actor, who is openly gay, discussed the controversy surrounding the case of his alleged attack amidst his court trial.

Smollett appeared on an Instagram Live session with author and activist, Marc Lamont Hill where he discussed the circumstances surrounding the case and his ongoing court trial.

In March 2019, Smollett was indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct after allegedly filing a false report claiming two men wearing Make American Great Again (MAGA) hats attacked him on 29 January 2019.

He denied lying about the incident to the police which police insisted that he did in order to further his career and increase his salary in Empire.

In the same month, the charges against him were dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx only to be revisited in February 2019. 

Smollett has constantly denied all wrongdoing. He also discussed the situation as frustrating when he joined Marc Lamont Hill’s Instagram Live.

“It’s been beyond frustrating, and I certainly am not going rogue,” he said about publicly commenting on the case.

“I’m still taking the advice of my attorneys and everything like that, but I don’t really see, honestly, what staying quiet has really done, like, where it has gotten me. … It’s so much bigger than me.”

He continued: “They won’t let this go. It doesn’t matter, there is an example being made. And the sad part is that there’s an example being made of someone who did not do what they are being accused of.

“From the very, very beginning, it was set up to seem like I was lying about something or everything.”

“There would be no reason for me to do this” and “this is bulls—. The last thing i want to do is be portrayed as a victim.”

Watch the video below:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CE8F-vJAopZ/