Actor and singer Justin “Jussie” Smollett took center stage in a bizarre case involving an alleged attack he staged. The uproar of his 2019 scandal has left fans and strangers alike reeling. So, how much do you know about Smollett? Find out more in our list 25 Fascinating Facts About Jussie Smollett He says the error is funny and makes him feel exotic, but he has always been honest about his upbringing. 2015 saw him win the BET Awards and Teen Choice Awards. In 2016 he won the NAACP Image Awards in several categories, and in 2017, a second Teen Choice Awards. He has since stated his belief that openness to love is more important than gender, and that “If I fall in love down the road with a woman, I’m going to love that woman.” Smollett, along with the show’s creator Lee Daniels, said that the interaction was an expression of their own sexual fluidity. The development was meant to start a conversation among the gay community. In 2007, he pleaded no contest to giving a false name to police when pulled over for drunk driving. He was later sentenced to a fine and two years of probation. Smollett reported that they attacked him wearing ski masks, called him racial slurs, and poured an unknown liquid on him before putting a noose around his neck. Even democratic senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker expressed that the attack was an attempt at a modern-day lynching. His bail was set at $100,000. A friend of the actor paid a $10,000 bond and on February 21st, Smollett was released from custody. However, when news broke he was the one who allegedly masterminded the entire event, the police superintendent Eddie T. Johnson was furious. He stated that use of the symbolism of the noose and false claims was to “slap everyone in the city in the face” and that the accusations were “a scar” that “Chicago…didn’t earn.” Jessie Smollet added, “I’d like nothing more than to just get back to work and move on with my life, but make no mistakes I will always continue to fight for the justice, equality, and betterment of marginalized people everywhere.”