The new documentary produced by the same creators of successes such as “Tinder’s scammer” and “Hands off the cats” arrives in the summer on Netflix: let’s talk about “The Jussie Smollett case: what is the truth?”, That with a style of True Crime and an approach that makes use of testimonies, new tests and the direct intervention of the protagonist, invites the spectator to ask a crucial question? The entire operation plays on the ambiguity between reality and fiction, scandling one of the most controversial and discussed cases of recent years, which we now be able to deepen.
The Jussie Smollett case: true story
The story begins on January 29, 2019, when the actor Jussie Smollett, famous for the role in the “Empire” series, denounces the Chicago police that he had been attacked by two men who would have shouted racist and homophobic insults, pouring a chemical substance on him and shaking a noose around his neck. The episode is immediately treated as a crime of hatred and arouses indignation and solidarity throughout the country. But soon details emerge that raise legitimate doubts and the version of Smollett begins to be questioned, until the authorities speculate that the actor has orchestrated the aggression to obtain visibility. From that moment, the case becomes a legal and media case.
In March 2019 Smollett was offending for 16 accusation, which however were subsequently archived after the payment of a fine and the performance of socially useful works. The following year a new incrimination brings the actor to court again. In December 2021 the sentence for false testimony to the police arrives, but in 2023 the Supreme Court of Illinois cancels the decision for procedural irregularities. During all this path, Smollett never stopped declaring himself innocent, but his career has undergone a vertical collapse.
What the docufilm shows us
Directed by Gagan Rehill, “The Jussie Smollett case?” It puts reconstructions, archive materials and above all interviews in place: from the agents involved in the investigations to lawyers to journalists who have followed the case to investigators who claim to have discovered new elements. Jussie Smollett himself participates in the documentary and explains his version of the facts. The story develops along the 90 minutes of the film as an intricate mosaic in which truths, lies and public perception seem to dialogue, leaving the spectators the freedom (and responsibility?) To get an opinion.
The Jussie Smollett case: when it comes out on Netflix
The True Crime documentary “The Jussie Smollett case” is released by Netflix on Friday 22 August 2025.
The Jussie Smollett case: the orifinal trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsfasfasfu7nu0undefined
