Jason Whitlock on Jussie Smollett: 'This was the craziest thing I've ever seen'
'Fearless' host reacts to former 'Empire' star's sentencing on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'
Twitter exploded late Thursday night following the sentencing of disgraced former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted in December of staging a hate crime against himself and lying to the police in 2019.
After Cook County Judge James Linn read Smollett's sentence and ordered him into custody, Smollett yelled, "I am innocent. I could have said I was guilty a long time ago," as sheriff’s deputies led him out of the courtroom. He added, "I'm not suicidal!"
Smollett was convicted on five charges of disorderly conduct. His sentence consisted of 30 months of felony probation and 150 days in the county jail, as well as the payment of fines and restitution to the city of Chicago.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT SHOUTS HE'S ‘INNOCENT,’ ‘NOT SUICIDAL’ AFTER BEING SENTENCED TO JAIL
Reactions to the sentencing and Smollett's subsequent outburst immediately began pouring onto Twitter, with some users celebrating that justice had "finally been served," and others lamenting that Smollett wasn't punished more harshly.
"Faking a hate crime should have a MANDATORY maximum sentence of the crime that was faked. Jussie Smollett should be in jail for years for what he did," wrote political comedian Tim Young.
Others compared his outburst to him auditioning for a new acting role.
"Cruel: Jussie Smollett Will Be Forced To Share A Jail Cell With His Attacker," read a satirical headline from The Babylon Bee.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT SENTENCED IN 2019 HATE CRIME HOAX
Several users questioned Smollett on whether his actions were worth receiving the sentence he did. Some attorneys on Twitter noted that one of his lawyers looked uncomfortable during the outburst and just wanted "to get the hell out of Dodge."
Others argued Smollett "embarrassed himself" with his "temper tantrum" in the courtroom, while media personality Piers Morgan called his actions "pathetic."
"Jussie Smollett, for all his pathetic courtroom squealing, is an entitled, narcissistic, arrogant, lying, hypocritical, race-baiting douchebag… and his despicable actions were the inevitable consequence of a virtue-signalling society that celebrates & rewards victimhood," Morgan wrote.
JUSSIE SMOLLETT REPORTED ATTACK: TIMELINE OF EVENTS
It wouldn't be complete without the Twitterverse reminding people that numerous prominent Democrats, including President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, preemptively rushed to Smollett's defense following his initial false claims.