Jurnee Smollett has only publicly stated her opinion on her older brother Jussie's case once, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. In February 2019, Jussie was arrested for filing a false report after claiming two masked men attacked him in Chicago in January. However, the suspects in the case, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, later sued the actor's legal team for defamation, alleging Jussie had orchestrated the entire attack as a means of elevating his status as an openly gay, Black actor, according to The New York Times. Although the charges against the actor were eventually dropped, a new prosecutor and special grand jury reinstated them.
Smollett told The Hollywood Reporter the incident had been "one of the most painful things my family's ever experienced — to love someone as much as we love my brother, and to watch someone who you love that much go through something like this, that is so public, has been devastating." As a supporter of Black Lives Matter, Smollett added that she'd already been dealing with negative emotions for various reasons when her brother's alleged attack occurred. "I've tried to not let it make me pessimistic," she said. "But everyone who knows me knows that I love my brother and I believe my brother."
In March 2021, Smollett was photographed near her brother's side in court when prosecutors protested his new defense attorney, citing a conflict of interest (per the Chicago Tribune). While the older Smollett's case is still pending, his younger sister remains supportive.
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