Jussie Smollett 'nearly lost hope in our constitutional system' while in jail for 6 days, lawyer says

Jussie Smollett
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Jussie Smollett, the Empire actor convicted of lying to police about being the victim of a hate crime, has been released from jail pending appeal after less than a week behind bars.

An appeals court late Wednesday ordered Smollett released while he appeals his conviction, and he was subsequently seen walking out of jail. Last week, a judge sentenced Smollett to 30 months probation, 150 days of which he was ordered to spend in county jail starting immediately.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.