Samuel L. Jackson, wife LaTanya Richardson, offered support for Smollett in letter read at sentencing

Hollywood couple Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson have been amongst these to supply help for Jussie Smollett forward of his sentencing on Thursday. 

Letters from Jackson, his spouse, an organizer with Black Lives Matter, and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition have been amongst these learn Thursday within the Chicago courtroom, the place Prepare dinner County Choose James Linn in the end sentenced Smollett to 150 days in jail for mendacity to police in what authorities stated was a staged hate crime.

“It’s with the respect of understanding this, that I humbly implore you to please discover an alternative choice to incarceration for Jussie Smollett,” Jackson and Richard wrote within the Feb. 24 dated letter, in accordance with Leisure Tonight. “It’s my understanding that Jussie was convicted of Class 4, disorderly conduct, which to my understanding, folks convicted of this offense traditionally are sentenced to numerous alternate options to incarceration.”

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“Jussie has already suffered a substantial amount of punishment, as this example has destroyed his current profession and impugned his popularity,” the letter added, in accordance with ET. “Please Choose Linn, in God’s identify, please save this younger man and permit him to be of service. Jussie Smollett is well worth the danger and the funding.”

“Please save this younger man and permit him to be of service. Jussie Smollett is well worth the danger and the funding.”

— Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson, in letter to evaluate

The letters additionally urged the choose to think about how the case had impacted Smollett’s life, and profession and hoped Smollett would keep away from any confinement as a part of his sentence. 

In danger behind bars?

Different supporters warned that Smollett, who’s Black and homosexual, can be in danger behind bars. They talked about his race, sexual orientation, and his household’s Jewish heritage.

On Thursday, Linn sentenced Smollett to 30 months of felony probation and 150 days within the county jail. Linn ordered Smollett to be instantly positioned in custody and pay $120,106 in restitution.

Actor Jussie Smollett seems together with his attorneys at his sentencing listening to on the Leighton Legal Court docket Constructing, Thursday, March 10, 2022, in Chicago.
(Related Press)

After Jackson and his spouse’s letter was despatched, the actor spoke with ET and stated the couple tries to “give service in each method we probably can.”

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“There are wrongs that have to be righted and somebody’s gotta arise as a result of if we don’t arise for something, we’ll fall for all the things,” Jackson stated.

In 2019, Smollett claimed that two males attacked him because of his pores and skin coloration and sexual orientation. He was sentenced Thursday for mendacity to police concerning the racist and homophobic assault, which he orchestrated himself. 

Earlier celeb help

After the 2019 assault, some Hollywood celebrities spoke out in help of Smollett, together with his former “Empire” co-stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard.

Terrence Howard performs at Hollywood Palladium on Dec. 2, 2021, in Los Angeles.
(Getty Photographs)

“All of your lil homies bought you… We love the hell outta you,” Howard wrote on Instagram in February 2019 – simply in the future after the present’s producers introduced that Smollett’s character, Jamal Lyon, can be eliminated from the ultimate two episodes of that season.

Different actors and actresses to talk out in protection of Smollett following the assault included Tyler Perry, Rumer Willis, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Cynthia Nixon.

Fox Information’ Jessica Napoli and the Related Press contributed to this report.