On Thursday's season 4 premiere of *Special Forces: World's Toughest Test*, actor Jussie Smollett found himself thrust into the crucible of military-style training, facing the stern rebukes of a military instructor and the unsettling recognition from a fellow contestant. This reality competition series thrusts a group of celebrities into a series of grueling challenges modeled after real-life Special Forces selection processes.
Smollett, along with his fellow recruits—including reality star Teresa Giudice and her daughter, Gia; model Chanel Iman; actress and *America's Next Top Model* winner Eva Marcille; and others—dove headfirst into military-level training within their first hours on the show, enduring, as expected, a barrage of yelling. During one particularly strenuous challenge that required the recruits to carry supplies uphill, Smollett paused to catch his breath, instantly drawing the ire of a Directing Staff member.
"Sixteen, what are you doing? What is your problem?" barked veteran Navy SEAL Jovon Quarles, referring to Smollett by his recruit number. "You all are truly pissing me off, especially you, Sixteen. Sixteen, y’all better hurry up!"
The former *Empire* actor later confided in the camera, "I'm okay with taking orders. I just don't like to be yelled at, all up in my face. I don't like being disrespected."
Beyond the arduous hill climb, the contestants were forced to perform bear crawls through mud and repel from a helicopter before retiring to the barracks where they would attempt to sleep (when possible).
Smollett and most of his comrades managed to survive the first episode. However, Brittany Cartwright, known for her role on *Vanderpump Rules*, chose to exit the competition on the very first day.
Earlier in the premiere, Smollett revealed his motivation for taking on such a demanding series. "I'm here because I've been through some s---," he confessed to the camera, "and it's been very public. I was called a liar, with everybody believing something that was not true. This feels like a reset."
Smollett was, of course, alluding to the legal maelstrom he had been embroiled in since 2019. At that time, the actor claimed to be the victim of a hate crime in Chicago, targeted for being Black and gay. However, the Chicago Police Department uncovered evidence suggesting that Smollett had allegedly paid his supposed attackers, an incident that reportedly cost $130,000 to investigate. City officials filed a lawsuit, prompting Smollett to countersue. He was later indicted by a grand jury on 16 felony charges, though his legal team negotiated a deal with prosecutors to have the charges dropped.
Subsequently, a special prosecutor took up the case, and Smollett was convicted in a new trial. After he appealed, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that he should not have been tried a second time. He and Chicago eventually settled their legal disputes in May. Throughout, Smollett has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
Since the legal saga, Smollett has rarely acted professionally, and he experienced an awkward moment with his *Special Forces* co-star, Kody Brown from *Sister Wives*, after Brown recognized him. The two had a brief exchange where the actor initially gave only his first name. It wasn't until Brown asked for a last name that Smollett reluctantly provided it.
The recognition was immediate, prompting Smollett to later remark ominously to a fellow recruit, "We're gonna have that conversation now."
The camera then cut back to Brown, who murmured, "Second chance."
*Special Forces: World's Toughest Test* airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
