Jussie Smollett checks into rehab: 'We are proud of him'
Jussie's team says he "has had an extremely difficult past few years".
Jussie Smollett is working on himself after being accused of orchestrating a hate crime hoax.
The former 'Empire' star has checked into a rehab facility. According to TMZ, he is currently in an outpatient programme.
"Jussie has had an extremely difficult past few years. He has quietly been working very hard for some time now and we are proud of him for taking these necessary steps," his team told the publication.
Despite being found guilty of staging a racist and homophobic attack, Jussie maintains his innocence and is currently appealing his conviction. He is out on bond pending the outcome of his appeal.
READ: US actor Jussie Smollett jailed for staged attack
Jussie made headlines in 2019 when he claimed that he was attacked by two masked men who hurled racial slurs at him while he walked on a street in Chicago at 2am.
He claimed the men wrapped a noose around his neck and poured "an unknown chemical substance" on him.
The men were later identified as Nigerian brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo. They claimed Jussie paid them to stage the attack in order to "increase his star level".
"'He wanted to be the poster child for activism," the Daily Mail quoted the brothers as saying. "He wanted to be the hero for gay people, for black people."
ALSO READ: Trevor Noah on Jussie Smollet attack: It 'was always a little bit weird'
Main image credit: Instagram/@jussiesmollett
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