Jussie Smollett marked his special day with a grand gesture that stole the hearts of many. On the eve of his birthday, the former Empire star made headlines by announcing his engagement to his beloved boyfriend, Jabari Redd, through a series of enchanting photos from their heartwarming proposal. Sharing these snapshots on his Instagram page on June 20th, Jussie captioned, "I’ll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé." The images depicted the actor gracefully bending on one knee outside what appeared to be an elegant restaurant, with Jabari joyously accepting his proposal. "He said YES," Jussie added, radiating pure bliss.
Almost instantly, Jussie's 43-year-old self was inundated with warm congratulations from his family and friends in the comments section. His little sister, Jurnee Smollett, couldn't contain her excitement, exclaiming, "Screaming with tears of joy!" She went on to profess her love for both of them, warmly welcoming Jabari into the family. Their other sister, Jazz Smollett, echoed similar sentiments, writing, "Yaaaass! Welcome to the family Jabari!!! Love y’all!! Sooooo happy for you both!" Even Jussie's former Empire co-star, Taraji P. Henson, chimed in with a heartfelt "My babies," while Halle Berry showed her support through a series of heart and fire emojis.
This delightful news arrived seven months after the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Jussie’s criminal conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct. He had been accused of falsely reporting a hate crime, for which he was initially sentenced to 150 days in jail in 2022. However, after six days behind bars, he was released pending an appeal by his lawyer. The court's decision stated, "Today we resolve a question about the State's responsibility to honor the agreements it makes with defendants. We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant's conviction." The ruling also noted that Jussie, known for his role in Mighty Ducks, should not have been charged after entering into a non-prosecution agreement with the State Attorney’s Office in Cook County.
Following the controversy, which saw Jussie accused of paying two brothers $2,500 to stage the hate crime, he announced that he would be donating $50,000 as part of a settlement with the city of Chicago, with an additional $10,000 on top. "Though I was exonerated by the Illinois Supreme Court in a unanimous decision and the civil case will now be dismissed, I’m aware that it will not change everyone’s mind about me or the attack I experienced," he wrote on Instagram last month. "Despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system. What I have to do now is move forward," he concluded, embodying resilience and hope for a brighter future.
