Black Lives Matter says it is standing by hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett — even after a jury found the disgraced actor guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct. Black Lives Matter maintains that the justice system is corrupt.
“So let’s be clear: we love everybody in our community — we can never believe police, especially the CPD over Jussie Smollett, a Black man who has been courageously present, visible, and vocal in the struggle for Black freedom,” BLM and BLM LA said in a statement to TMZ before the verdict.
After Smollett was found guilty, BLM L.A. leader Melina Abdullah told the outlet that the group’s stance has not changed — the Empire actor has their full support.
Melina Abdullah participates in the Hollywood talent agencies march to support Black Lives Matter protests on June 06, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. (Rich Fury/Getty Images)
Abdula said the organization refuses to abandon its people, and is sticking with the notion that the justice system is corrupt.
A jury convicted Smollett for five counts of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report after he hired two brothers from Nigeria to stage a fake hate crime against him.
The class 4 felony carries a maximum sentence of up to 3 years in prison for each count, though experts believe he will likely get probation and be sentenced to community service if convicted. Smollett was acquitted of just one count of disorderly conduct.
Smollett now faces a possible three-year prison sentence, but it remains unclear whether or not he will be sentenced to any time behind bars, as the actor has no prior criminal record.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.