Netflix Dives Into the Jussie Smollett Scandal in New Explosive Documentary

Netflix is diving into one of the most controversial stories in recent memory with a brand-new documentary about Jussie Smollett.

Titled The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, the film is set to premiere on August 22 and promises to bring forward new details, interviews, and a fresh look at a case that shocked and divided America.

The 90-minute documentary features conversations with police officers, lawyers, reporters, and investigators who say they have “new evidence about the case.” According to Netflix’s official description, the film tells the “shocking true story of an allegedly fake story that some now say might just be a true story.”

Jussie Smollett, best known for playing Jamal Lyon on the hit show Empire, made headlines in 2019 when he said he was the victim of a hate crime in Chicago. He claimed two men attacked him, yelled racial and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown substance on him, and tied a rope around his neck.

The news triggered strong public reactions, with celebrities like Viola Davis and Shonda Rhimes, and politicians like Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, speaking out in support of him. Many called the incident an attempted modern-day lynching.

But things took a sharp turn. Chicago police identified the two alleged attackers as Nigerian American brothers who had worked on Empire as extras. Soon after, reports came out that Smollett had actually staged the attack himself and paid the brothers $3,500.

Smollett was first charged with 16 felony counts of disorderly conduct. These charges were later dropped. But in 2020, he was re-charged, and by 2021, he was found guilty on five felony counts. His sentence included 30 months of probation, 150 days in jail, and fines over $120,000.

Then in 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction, saying the second prosecution had violated his legal rights. In 2025, Smollett settled with the City of Chicago. He still denies he made the whole thing up.

The new documentary comes from director Gagan Rehill and the production company RAW, which previously worked with Netflix on popular true crime hits like Don’t F**k With Cats and The Tinder Swindler. Executive producers Tom Sheahan and Tim Wardle are also on board.

In a statement shared by Netflix, Rehill said: “I’m very excited to be sharing this film with Netflix viewers. This story is a thrilling ride, and we were lucky enough to have access to the key players. I wanted this documentary to balance their competing narratives and to also use their compelling, colorful testimonies to thread the light and shade of the story through the film.”

He added: “But much more than that, I wanted this film to speak to the particular moment of rapid cultural change when this takes place in 2019; when, as a society, we were becoming more combative, more polarized, more divergent over our shared reality – when we began to lack a common singular truth.”

The Truth About Jussie Smollett? will be available to stream on Netflix starting August 22.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!