Jussie Smollett reflects on mistake that changed his life

Jussie Smollett has revealed that he still feels “insecure” whenever he meets new people following his alleged hate crime debacle.

In a new interview with Variety on Wednesday, the 43-year-old American singer got candid about the lasting impact his alleged hate crime hoax has had on his personal life.

“I’m still insecure when I meet people for the first time,” the Chasing the Sky hitmaker told the outlet.

"I don’t know if they are coming into the room thinking that I’m this trash person who did something that I didn’t do, or if they are thinking that I am this good person who got a raw deal," explained Jussie.

The comments from the musician come ahead of the release of a new documentary detailing the high-profile case.

The Truth About Jussie Smollett? will debut on Netflix on August 22.

In January 2019, Jussie claimed that two men attacked him while he was on his way home from a restaurant in Chicago.

The Hurt People crooner, who identifies as a Black man, further said that the attackers were allegedly yelling racist and h*mophobic slurs.

Following an investigation, prosecutors found out that Jussie staged the attack to attract media attention.

In March 2022, the Empire star was sentenced to 150 days in prison for making a false report to investigators.