Following the announcement of his jail sentence, Jussie Smollett was restrained in the psych ward. His brother believes much of this was caused by public pressure from fans.
Following his release, Jussie’s brother Jocqui Smollett, took to social media Monday night to thank those who participated in the “Free Jussie” movement. He also detailed that Jussie’s movement from the psych ward and out of restraints was a great step in the right direction. “Cook County doesn’t really move until they get bad publicity…keep continuing to call Cook County Jail checking in on him and keep saying that you believe he should be free,” Jocqui said. Jocqui also believes that if the public continues to apply pressure, Jussie could be a free man sooner than later.
According to TMZ, Jussie was placed in the ward because the area houses high-profile inmates. Jocqui was concerned about his placement and said that official paperwork stated that his brother was at risk for self-harm – something Jocqui finds suspicious. During his sentencing, Jussie was adamant that he was not a suicidal person.
Jussie was immediately taken into custody to start his 150-day jail sentence. The former actor will be placed under protective custody for the next five months per his team’s request. In addition to jail time, he will also serve 30 months of felony probation, pay $120K in restitution and an additional $25K in fines.
Jussie’s team has not released any more info at this time.
[Via]