Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has released a new song in which he again claims to be innocent of lying to Chicago police about a racist and homophobic attack in 2019, KTLA sister station WGN reported.
Smollett, who was found guilty on five counts of disorderly conduct last December, had been sentenced to serve 150 days in jail following his conviction in March. He was released after six nights pending an appeal of his conviction.
On Friday, the embattled actor once again declared his innocence in a snippet of a song called “Thank You God,” which he shared to his 4.4 million followers on Instagram. In the minute-and-a-half-long clip, he claims that the authorities are “hell bent on not solving the crime” and downplaying the “elements of race and trans and homophobia that’s straight taking lives.”
In the song, Smollett says: “Some people searching for fame, some people chasing that clout, just remember this, this ain’t that situation, you think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?”
The singer/songwriter adds: “Y’all better look at someone else, you got the wrong one.”
In his Instagram post, Smollett also claimed that all proceeds from the song will be donated to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Illinois Innocence Project, and STB (Secure the Bag) Safety.
After a jury found Smollett guilty, Cook County Judge James Linn sentenced the actor to 150 days in jail with 30 months probation. Linn also ordered Smollett to pay the city just over $120,000 in restitution and pay an additional $25,000 fine.
Smollett has remained silent since walking out of Cook County Jail on March 16.