Jussie Smollett’s Empire castmate Taraji P. Henson took to Instagram to plead for home confinement rather than jail time for Smollett, who was sentenced Thursday to 150 days incarceration for his role in creating a hate hoax.
She posted, “I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime. Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false."
“No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal. He has already lost everything, EVERYTHING! To me as an artist not able to create that in itself is punishment enough. He can’t get a job. No one in Hollywood will hire him and again as an artist who loves to create, that is prison."
"My prayer is that he is freed and put on house arrest and probation because in this case that would seem fair. Please #freejussie."
