American actress Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150 days in prison and fined $120,000 for falsely reporting a racist and homophobic assault. A judge in Chicago ruled that after a jury found the actor guilty in December.

The attorney general had previously requested a prison sentence and a $130,000 fine (118,000 euros) to be paid to the city of Chicago. According to the prosecutor, the indictment against him cost the city a lot of time and money. In addition, he emphasized that the “real victims of hate crimes” are the victims of false statements.

Smollett, 39, again denied during the hearing that he carried out the attack. “I’m innocent. I could have said a long time ago that I was guilty,” he shouted as he was taken away from the room after the verdict was pronounced.

The actor turned himself in to the police in January 2019. He said that he was assaulted by two men who made racist and homophobic statements. It happened in front of the security camera.

The two men later admitted that they He has received $3,500 from Smollett to organize the assault.

‘They lost everything’

Smollett’s attorney asked the judge to mandate only community service. He said Smollett “has lost almost everything”. The cost of the case Smollett Course In the TV series empire. He previously said in court that he could no longer support himself financially.

Smollett’s 92-year-old grandmother also spoke in court. She asked the judge not to impose a prison sentence. “If I do that, send me with him, okay?” Smollett’s brother also argued against the prison sentence. “In my humble opinion, he is completely innocent.”