In a fiery and conspiratorial interview, disgraced actor Jussie Smollett once again lashed out at law enforcement and political leadership in Chicago, refusing to take accountability for what many consider one of the most infamous hate crime hoaxes in recent history. Smollett, speaking to Variety, cast himself as the victim—not of a staged attack, but of a vast establishment plot to bring him down, pointing fingers at the Chicago Police Department and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“The villains are the two people who assaulted me, the Chicago Police Department and, if I may be so brave, the mayor,” Smollett declared, offering no evidence to back up the inflammatory accusation. His comments reflect a continued refusal to accept the consequences of his own actions, even after overwhelming evidence showed he staged the 2019 incident that captured national headlines.

Smollett, who is both Black and openly gay, originally told police he was attacked in a racially and sexually charged assault by two white men wearing red MAGA hats. They allegedly hurled slurs at him, poured bleach on him, and tied a noose around his neck. The story, tailor-made for media outrage, quickly unraveled. By 2021, Smollett had been convicted of faking the entire event. However, in a legal twist, the Illinois Supreme Court later vacated the conviction—not because he was exonerated, but due to a prior deal struck with prosecutors that should have prevented further prosecution.

Notably, the court made no ruling on his guilt or innocence. Despite this, Smollett continues to claim he was wronged by the justice system and by the political powers that be.

In his latest remarks, the former Empire actor floated a conspiracy involving former Mayor Emanuel and the Chicago establishment, alleging they may have used Smollett’s case as a smokescreen to distract from a brewing scandal involving the 2014 police shooting of teenager Laquan McDonald. “Could it be that the mayor helped hide that?” Smollett asked rhetorically, suggesting Emanuel was using him as a scapegoat to draw attention away from the fallout surrounding the missing footage in McDonald’s case—a shooting that did spark national outrage and prompted mandated reforms within the CPD.

Smollett implied he was swept up in a broader systemic attempt to deflect from city corruption. “We’re living in a world where the higher-ups, their main mission… is to distract us with the shiny object,” he said.

Despite mountains of contradictory evidence—including testimony from two Nigerian brothers who confessed to being paid by Smollett to fake the attack—the actor insists his story has remained consistent. “Every single other person’s story has changed multiple times. Mine has never. I have nothing to gain from this,” he told Variety. But critics note that Smollett still hasn’t offered a clear, corroborated explanation for the inconsistencies in his account.

In what may be his most tone-deaf moment yet, Smollett compared his experience to that of Michael Jackson, suggesting both were unfairly vilified by the media and justice system. “I saw firsthand the way that someone can take the exact opposite of who you are and literally sell it,” he said. “God rest his soul, but homeboy Michael Jackson tried to warn us.”

As for why alleged exculpatory evidence has not emerged until now, Smollett admitted he didn’t know. “I can only tell you what did not happen,” he said. “And what did not happen is the story that’s been out there for almost seven years.”

Smollett also commented on an upcoming Netflix documentary, The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, which he hopes will vindicate him. The film reportedly explores the idea that Smollett may have been framed—yet, to date, no credible evidence supports that theory.

Though he now seeks to rewrite history, Smollett recently settled with the City of Chicago, agreeing to donate $50,000 to charity in exchange for the dismissal of a lawsuit seeking to recoup investigative costs.

Let’s call it what it is: Jussie Smollett was not the victim of a hate crime. He was the architect of a dangerous lie—and now, despite legal maneuvering and sympathetic media platforms, he’s still trying to sell it.