Jussie Smollett 'Still Smiling' in Birthday Post as Case Takes a New Turn

Jussie Smollett shared a baby photo of himself just in time for his birthday, letting his followers know that he is "still smiling" despite the many controversies that have swarmed him in the past couple of months.

37-year-old actor Jussie Smollett just celebrated his birthday and is "still smiling" amid all the controversies. On Instagram, he shared a baby photo of himself and disable the comment section, simply to let people know that he is still alive, fighting his battles, and staying grateful through it all.

"Grateful for LOVE. Grateful for y’all. Grateful for another year around the sun. #SummerSolstice#StillSmiling"

Staging his attack

The former "Empire" actor had 16 charges against him following his fake hate crime, where he allegedly hired two men to attack him in hopes of gaining public sympathy. The investigation soon after switched angles, and he became the main suspect in his own crime.

However, Chicago prosecutors acquitted him of these 16 charges, much to the shock of many people and government officials of the City of Chicago themselves. Now, a federal case was launched against him and another judge questioned the decision, implicating that new charges could be filed against him.

A re-launched investigation

Judge Michael Toomin recently called on an independent counsel to "restore the public's confidence in our criminal justice system," as he feels Jussie's case was filled with legal blunders.

Earlier this month, Chicago police released hundreds of pages of reports on the Jussie Smollett case, which had more people looking into never-before-seen evidence that triggered the start of a new investigation.

The release comes after a Cook County judge lifted the seal on Smollett's court records, which now allows the public to look through piles of evidence that implicate the actor.

Implicated by evidence

Police reports confirmed that Smollett hired Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo to carry out the hate crime last January, even telling them who was supposed to punch him.

“Smollett was also clear that only (one brother) was to do the hitting because Smollett did not trust (the other brother) to pull his punches."

According to more evidence, Smollett and the Osundairo brothers were already in contact with one another prior to the attack, and it seems the former "Empire" actor bought drugs from one of the brothers multiple times.

Moreover, he issued a $3,500 for "physical training," which was actually the payment he made to stage the attack.

These and more are the evidence shown to the public, and it's caused an uproar in both the public and private sector, now seeking justice in the whole ordeal.