Jussie Smollett released a song about his criminal trial.- In the song, titled "Thank You God," Smollett professes his innocence.
Jussie Smollett just released a new song titled "Thank You God" that includes lyrics that appear to address his criminal case and argue that he is innocent of all charges in his high-profile criminal case.
Smollett, who previously starred in Fox's popular TV show "Empire," was released from prison last month pending an appeal after he was convicted of falsely reporting to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in 2019.
The actor posted a snippet of the song to Instagram over the weekend with a caption that noted he'd be donating "100% of the profits" to a collection of non-profit organizations, including the Illinois Innocence Project, an organization that focuses on wrongful convictions.
"Just remember this, this ain't that situation. You think I'm stupid enough to kill my reputation? Just to look like a victim, like it's something fun. Y'all better look at someone else, you got the wrong one," he sings on the track.
"Thank You God" is Smollett's first single since his legal battles began in January 2019. At the time, Smollett — who is Black and gay — reported to
An investigation into the purported attack soon turned into an investigation of Smollett. The actor was later arrested on charges that he'd orchestrated the attack and lied to police.
Prosecutors alleged at trial that Smollett had actually paid two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, to pretend to attack him that night. The Osundairo brothers took the stand during the trial, testifying that Smollett had paid them $3,500 for the job and provided specific instructions on how to fake the attack.
A jury convicted Smollett in December on five felony counts of disorderly conduct. Back in March, Judge James Linn sentenced Smollett to 150 days in jail. Judge Linn also sentenced Smollett to pay $120,106 restitution to the city of Chicago to cover the cost of the police investigation, as well as a $25,000 fine.
As Insider previously reported, Smollett and his family have continued to maintain his innocence.
At his sentencing, Smollett declared to the court, "I am not suicidal! I am innocent. And I am not suicidal. If I did this, then it means that I stuck my fist in the fears of Black Americans who have been in this country for over 400 years, and the fears of the LGBT community."