Jussie Smollett conviction over staged attack upheld by Illinois court

Empire actor loses bid to overturn conviction after he was found to have lied to police about 2019 hate crime attack he orchestrated

An appeals court upheld the disorderly conduct convictions on Friday of the actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist, homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and then lying about it to Chicago police.

Smollett, who appeared in the TV show Empire, challenged the role of a special prosecutor, jury selection, evidence and many other aspects of the case. But all were turned aside in a 2-1 opinion from the Illinois appellate court.