Joe Budden has finally watched Netflix’s ‘The Truth About Jussie Smollett?’ documentary and had a surprising take on the show.
Budden says that while he still does not believe Smollett’s lies, he could relate.
“I appreciate the type of liar that Jussie Smollett is. This is, like, my favorite kind of liar. And I used to be this type of liar…” he explains, before adding that he had to change after some of his past relationships called him out.
Budden says Smollett is the type of liar who still won’t admit that he’s a liar, even though the whole world knows he’s not telling the truth.
Smollett, best known for his role as Jamal on Empire, found himself at the center of a high‑profile legal saga when he claimed to have been assaulted in a racist and homophobic hate crime in Chicago in January 2019.
Authorities later alleged that he orchestrated the attack himself, paying two acquaintances to stage it, but Smollett has consistently insisted on his innocence
A grand jury indicted him in February 2020 on six counts of felony disorderly conduct for filing false police reports; in December 2021, he was convicted on five counts and subsequently sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and more than $120,000 in restitution.
In November 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction in November 2024. The court ruled that retrying Smollett after an earlier deal, where charges were dropped in exchange for community service and a forfeited bond, violated his due process rights, effectively nullifying the second prosecution.