- On Thursday Smollett – once a darling of the music and TV world for his success on the show Empire – was sentenced to 150 days in jail
- Smollett told his attorneys that he would get a harsher sentence than most people convicted of a non-violent offence because he is black
- Smollett said the 150 day sentence was ‘unfortunate’ and ‘sad’ and blamed it on the judge’s animosity towards him
- Smollett proclaimed: ‘I am innocent! I am not suicidal’ as he was led away in handcuffs on Thursday
- He said his outburst was to ensure if something happened to him in jail, the public would know it was foul play- a reference to Jeffrey Epstein’s jail cell hanging