Jussie Smollett’s charges have been dropped, and people are speaking their mind on social media. Reactions to Smollett’s victory vary.
On March 26, criminal charges filed against Jussie Smollett for staging a hate crime were dismissed , and his record was subsequently “wiped clean,” according to his lawyers.
To quickly recap the story: Smollett reported being beaten up in late January, which was characterized as a “possible hate crime” at the time. By mid-to-late February, however, Smollett himself had been arrested, with charges including disorderly conduct. In early March, the charges expanded to 16 counts. That brings us back to this week, when charges were dropped.
Because of all the constant rolling-in of new information, the public’s opinion has varied. Social media, especially Twitter, is filled to the brim with thoughts and opinions on the case — from confusion about the outcome to support for Smollett.
Shows like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah have weighed in with comedy:
Brexit gets messier, Jussie Smollett’s story gets weirder, and bagels get MAIMED. pic.twitter.com/rCazi7dugV
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) March 29, 2019
Celebrities who believed he was innocent from the beginning to now have also spoken out. Questlove, from The Roots, posted this self-affirming tweet:
TOLD YALL https://t.co/kE4WzjKTy1
— ?st (@questlove) March 26, 2019
The official Twitter account of Empire‘s writers got itself in trouble for a cheeky tweet that came out after the news of the felony charges being dismissed.
😉 see y’all Wednesday. #empire #empirefox pic.twitter.com/jQUtsHcQBF
— Empire Writers (@EmpireWriters) March 26, 2019
Many people replied to this tweet, saying it rubbed them the wrong way, some going as far to say they won’t watch Empire anymore because of it.
I’ll pass! If anything people should boycott this show!
— KEG♔🎮 (@Mughhh) March 26, 2019
Empire cast members Gabourey Sidibe and Taraji P. Henson showed their support for Smollett as well.
Henson retweeted this post from the Fox show’s Twitter account.
— Empire (@EmpireTVSeries) March 26, 2019
Another popular opinion around this case is summarized by Ava DuVernay’s tweet below:
DuVernay is referring to a common opinion that many black people in America have. The Chicago Police Department is notoriously known for racism, even after investigations found that it was a problem.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s comment about “a whitewash of justice” when referring to Smollett’s felony charges didn’t help, particularly when the Laquan McDonald case is still in recent memory.
The City of Chicago is now asking for Smollett to pay back investigation fees, which amount to $130,000. Emanuel said this is a way for the city to keep Smollett accountable for wasting the police resources. However, these comments have also drawn ire, particularly when compared to some of CPD’s other costs:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel says Jussie Smollett cost the city $130k.
— Brandon Pope TV (@BpopeTV) March 29, 2019
The City Of Chicago spent more than $113 MILLION in police misconduct lawsuits in 2018, according to @ChicagoReporter
No public outrage from the Mayor about that cost yet https://t.co/Dvkcof2xsy
There has even been a proposal, as reported by The Hill, to effectively ban Smollett from working in the state:
Illinois state senator proposes withholding tax credits to any production that hires Jussie Smollett https://t.co/STrOG3F9X9 pic.twitter.com/2oVtxjUBNt
— The Hill (@thehill) March 28, 2019
The responses to that part of the story can basically be summed up as follows:
What in the living hell?
— Eddie S. Glaude Jr. (@esglaude) March 28, 2019
Michelle Obama’s former chief of staff Tina Tchen reportedly put Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in touch with Smollett. According to the Associated Press, there may be further investigations into the handling of the case, and Foxx has faced further criticism:
Illinois Prosecutors Bar Association releases stinging critique of @SAKimFoxx: “the State’s Attorney & her representatives have fundamentally misled the public on the law & circumstances surrounding the dismissal.” #JussieSmollett pic.twitter.com/UrroE0AFHt
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) March 28, 2019
As you can see, the conversation surrounding Jussie Smollett is far from over. Have thoughts about his case yourself? Let us know in the comments below.
We will continue to cover this story as it develops.