Jussie Smollett Insists He is Telling the Truth
Will an upcoming documentary about him change critics and doubters minds?
Getting people to believe you when you’re telling the truth isn’t always easy. It can be rough, frustrating work. When you’re deceiving or lying to them or they presume you to be, it’s an even harder road in life and to earning trust.
Jussie Smollett, the actor and singer, was charged with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report alleging a hate crime against him in February 2019, yet he asserted that his story has not changed and he experienced exactly what he said.
Smollett is meeting with the media leading up to the new, upcoming Netflix documentary, The Truth About Jussie Smollett, which is being released on August 22.
He told Variety that he it’s possible that he was framed by a municipal power structure, concluding that the motive “may have been to cover up the case of Laquan McDonald, a Black 17-year-old who was shot by a white Chicago police officer, Jason Van Dyke,” reported Alex Ocho at Complex.
“We’re living in a world where the higher-ups, their main mission, in order to do all of the underhanded things that they’re doing, is to distract us with the shiny object,” Smollett threw out for thought.
It brings up the question, is there any possibility that despite how he is widely viewed, that he is being misjudged and thus is worthy of being listened to further?
If so, it has to be determined precisely what critics and doubters would need to hear or see to change their thinking and see Smollett as someone else other than a person who was judged as not telling the truth about a hate crime allegation.
One professional sees Smollett heading down the wrong path.
“If you don't like what they're saying about you, change the conversation,” says Jonathon Narvey, chief executive officer at Mind Meld PR.
“Jussie Smollett seems to be doing the opposite: calling attention to the same topic of conversation he's already known for. That ship has sailed, though. The hate crime hoax was in 2019. He's not going to move forward by reminding people of why he was removed from polite society in the first place.”
Smollett is unlikely to improve his situation, Narvey adds.
“It's not just unhelpful,” he insists. “It's also boring, which is the unforgivable sin in entertainment news.”
That doesn’t mean that others whose names were once muddied aren’t now seen much more positively.
“There's no shortage of celebrities who have turned things around,” Narvey says. “Think of Robert Downey Jr., whose star was diminishing for years thanks to drug and alcohol addiction. He had one chance to turn that bad-boy celebrity image in his favor in the Iron Man movies — and totally killed it.”
He wasn’t the only one.
“Mel Gibson's career got sideswiped when drunk raging rants made it onto social media,” Narvey adds. “Eventually, he pulled himself back into respectability by producing films like The Sound of Freedom or taking on small roles he wouldn't have considered back in his Mad Max or Lethal Weapon days.”
Smollett talked about his reasoning for continuing to communicate his claims.
“Every single other person’s story (in the case) has changed multiple times,” he told Variety. “Mine has never. I have nothing to gain from this.”
His reputation greatly suffered, including becoming the butt of jokes by comedians. His credibility with a large part of the public, is low. People who aren’t believed can still be telling the truth and Smollett, it seems, is dedicated to the good fight to push for the court of public opinion to reconsider the narrative about him and his name.
Not everyone agrees with the upside and strategy.
“For actors whose currency is fame, the thing to do is get busy with other projects,” Narvey suggests what Smollett could choose to do instead.
“When a reporter asks about the bad thing that happened years ago, try some light-hearted laughter an saying something like ‘We're still talking about that? Let me tell you about this movie that's coming out this week that I think you should know about.’
“Answer the question you wish the reporter had asked, show them you've moved on... and maybe the memory of what happened in the past goes from humiliating defeat to quirky anecdote that adds flavor to your resume.”
Smollett explained he has emotional, psychological struggles in interactions.
“I’m still insecure when I meet people for the first time,” he admitted.
“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. Or if they’re not thinking anything and they’re just coming in … I would rather the latter.”
Smollett knows that what he’s experienced is not new, especially in Hollywood.
“I saw firsthand how narratives are built,” he stated. “I saw firsthand the way that someone can take the exact opposite of who you are and literally sell it. And people will be like, ‘I believe it!’
Smollett realizes that many people may never believe him. He is choosing to focus on communicating what he can and resigning himself to how people reason about it.
"I can only tell you what did not happen,” Smollett said. “And what did not happen is the story that’s been out there for almost seven years, that somehow I would have even a reason to do something as egregious as this.”
People who care about him and this social-and-court topic will decide for themselves whether it’s worth investing their time and attention for a deeper look into his story.
They may decide to listen and watch to learn something new that could or could not change their mind about how they view Smollett and the police.
It may be telling whether the documentary proves worth the effort for Smollett to shift people’s conclusions or shows him that he is better served looking forward.
Advertising available for any section of the newsletter: To advertise, link to your business, sponsor an article or section of the newsletter or discuss your affiliate marketing program, contact CI.
Sigh - I remember Smollett.
You know some things you forget, but not this.
The PR guy is right, though - this feels like the worst possible approach. When you're known for one terrible thing, you don't keep bringing it up. Look at how Martha Stewart handled her insider trading scandal - she just went back to making perfect table settings and never mentioned prison again. That's how you move on.
Happy Tuesday Michael...