Jussie Smollett.Photo: Rob Kim/Getty
On Wednesday, the Illinois Appellate Court granted the 39-year-old actor’s release from behind bars pending appeal of his 150-day sentence, PEOPLE confirms.
The ruling would require Smollett to post a $150,000 recognizance bond.
John Shearer/Getty.
An attorney for Smollett, Tina Glandian of Geragos & Geragos, tells PEOPLE, “We are gratified that Jussie will be back with his family and loved ones and look forward to a dispassionate review and reversal of the serial injustices visited upon him.”
Prior to walking into Cook County Judge James Linn’s courtroom, the entertainer was looking at several possible sentences in connection with the Jan. 29, 2019, incident.
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At Linn’s discretion, Smollett received 30 months of felony probation, with the first 150 days spent in jail for his crimes, PEOPLE confirmed on March 10.
In addition to his sentence, Smollett will pay $120,106 in restitution and receive the maximum fine of $25,000, Linn ordered.
Before receiving his sentence, Smollett declined to address the court, but his defense team brought longtime friends of the actor to the stand to vouch for his character.
When the sentence was announced, Smollett stood, removed his mask and angrily maintained his innocence before telling the court, “I am not suicidal, and if anything happens to me when I go [to jail], I didn’t do it to myself and you must all remember that.”
Smollett’s defense team later revealed plans to appeal the sentence.
Smollett, an openly gay Black actor, was originallyindicted in March 2019 with 16 counts of disorderly conductforallegedly filing a false report, claiming that, while on his way home from a Subway sandwich shop,two men attacked himlate at night.
Those charges were unexpectedly dropped later that same month.
During the faux attack, Smollett claimed the black-clad, masked men spewed racist and homophobic slurs at him.
He further claimed the men had puta rope around his neckand doused him with bleach.
Smollett, prosecutors said, paid $3,500 totwo brothers, Abimbola “Bola” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, to help him pull off the staged assault.
source: people.com
