Smollett conviction overturned by Illinois Supreme Court; Netflix doc

Jussie Smollett’s 2019 confrontation in Chicago remains at the center of a highly publicized case that has moved through the courts, prompted a settlement with city authorities, and now fuels a Netflix documentary that promises new examination of the events. A long-running legal fight culminated in an unusual appellate outcome in 2024, clearing the path for Smollett’s asserted innocence to take center stage once again as the film debuts later this month and chronicling reporting continues to scrutinize the motives, people involved, and the wider political and media environment surrounding the case.

The incident at the heart of the case unfolded on January 29, 2019, when Smollett claimed two men attacked him outside his Chicago apartment, shouted racial and homophobic slurs, tied a rope around his neck, and poured a chemical on him. Prosecutors later alleged that Smollett staged the attack to gain attention and that he paid the Osundairo brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo, thousands of dollars to participate in the hoax. After a lengthy investigation, Smollett was convicted in 2021 on five counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report and was sentenced in 2022 to...