Over six years since the alleged hate crime against a Hollywood superstar shocked the globe, “The Truth About Jussie Smollett” is leaving streamers on the edges of their seats.
The new Netflix documentary from director Gagan Rehill, who also helmed “Louis Theroux’s Altered States” and “Rise of the Billionaires”, chronicles the years-long legal battle involving actor Jussie Smollett, who, in 2019, alleged that he was attacked near downtown Chicago by two white masked men.
The “Empire” star has maintained that the men hurled racial and homophobic slurs against him, but the Chicago police department has insisted that Smollett staged the altercation in a bid to boost his career as well as his aspirations of being a “poster boy for activism.”
These opposing views made for an intense encounter, which resulted in high-profile court cases and salacious allegations made on both sides as the entertainment world was shaken by the scandal.
But what truly elevates this story, which continues to garner headlines years after it left the world seeking what really happened on that freezing early hours of a weekday morning, is the diverse range of contributors.
The one that stands out is Smollett, who speaks directly to the incident while affirming that he was a victim of a heinous attack. During intimate confessionals, the actor also delves into the emotional toll it has had on his career as well as his mental state.
Jussie Smollett during his court case.
The film marks the first time Smollett has spoken publicly about the case since his interview with ABC News correspondent Robin Roberts shortly after the alleged attack.
Apart from captivating never-before-seen footage, which gives viewers a front-row seat to the incident, is the vast array of other new interviews, which add to a balanced narrative.
This includes law enforcement officials who were investigating the case, such as the former Chicago Police superintendent Eddie Johnson and Melissa Staples, the former Chicago Police chief of detectives.
They both speak to viewers through their accounts of the investigation, while insights from Rafer Weigel, a former Chicago news anchor and reporter, also provide context.
But it was the interviews with April, Smollett’s former personal assistant, as well as brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who confessed to being hired by Smollett to attack him, which I found to be the most intriguing.
Meanwhile, others who gave captivating interviews on “The Truth About Jussie Smollett” are Josie Duffy Rice, a criminal justice journalist who has been relentless in her pursuit of the truth, and Gloria Rodriguez, the Osundairo brothers’ lawyer, whose vibrant and charismatic take on the matter brings some humorous reprieve.
And what this documentary does brilliantly is how it comprehensively unpacks an extensive abundance of information relating to the case while ensuring that it adds all voices, making this production balanced.
With Smollett and the Chicago police remaining at loggerheads about the attack, these diverse personalities who were close to the cases allow viewers to digest all the information and formulate their own truths.
It is also fascinating to hear Smollett’s account of the attack in his own words. As one of the superstars on the hit show “Empire”, which was a worldwide success at the time, the actor explained on the documentary that he flew into Chicago late on the night of January 28, 2019.
After settling into his accommodation, Smollett explained that he left in the early hours of the next morning to find something to eat.
After getting a subway takeaway, he said that he was walking back to his apartment when he heard men hurling racial and homophobic insults. When he decided to confront them, they started attacking him, leaving visible scars on his face and even placing a noose around his neck.
He maintained that while the men were wearing balaclavas, he could see by the skin around their eyes that they were white.
He insisted that this ordeal left him visibly shaken, particularly at a time in America when racial tensions were high and the level of distrust against the US police was at a high. When news of the alleged attack broke, Smollett received support from the likes of celebs like Vivica A Fox, Viola Davis, Shonda Rhimes, Lee Daniels, Ciara and even Donald Trump.
But the Chicago PD, who, after going through hours of CCTV footage, concluded that the actor faked the attack as a way to get more money from the “Empire” execs and that he was trying to use the incident to bolster his Hollywood standing.
They also reached this conclusion following the Osundairo brothers’ confession, even though Smollett insisted that he knew them as extras from “Empire” and that one of them was his personal trainer.
The police also insisted that Smollett’s behaviour following the incident was suspicious despite the actor explaining that he was emotionally distraught. He also added that he was happy to cooperate with the police, but he was unwilling to hand over his phone as he did not want news of his drug use to be made public.
The constant back and forth between Smollett and the police makes for enthralling viewing as questions about police corruption and misconduct, as well as alleged tampering, are also raised.
* I give “The Truth About Jussie Smollett” four out of five stars.
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