Jussie Smollett’s mother has unfortunately become the latest target in a troubling series of attempted home break-ins occurring in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, two prowlers arrived at his mother Janet’s home on Monday night in an attempt to gain entry. They tried to smash a door but ultimately ended up causing $300 worth of damage to just a window. Janet, who was reportedly home at the time, heard a noise and went outside to investigate. She confronted the two strangers, who then fled the scene. The thieves made off with nothing.
Sources informed the news outlet that the Empire actor quickly rushed to his mother’s home to ensure she was safe. Despite being a little shaken up, she was ultimately alright. It was reported that the police took a statement regarding the attempted burglary and are now searching for the criminals.
Fortunately, this incident was nothing like the situation Smollett claimed to have experienced a couple of years ago.
As previously reported, in January 2019, Smollett, who is Black and gay, stated that he had been the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago. He alleged that two men assaulted him, shouting racial and homophobic slurs while one poured bleach on him and the other placed a noose around his neck. He also told police that the men shouted, “This is MAGA country,” during the attack.
Despite the horror of those claims, federal investigators concluded that Smollett allegedly staged the attack and fabricated a false story for law enforcement. As a consequence, Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, which included 150 days in jail, and was ordered to pay restitution of over $120,000, along with a $25,000 fine for making false reports to the police regarding a hate crime. However, he was released after just six days. Smollett has consistently maintained his innocence.
In a recent interview, he spoke about moving past the entire ordeal. “I’ve moved on and I know that the world, one day, and it might be long after I’m gone, who knows, but one day the world is going to fix this,” Smollett told People Magazine. “I just can’t wait for that to happen because I have a life to live. But the world is going to fix it all.”