Jussie Smollett Being Held in ‘Psych Ward’ and His Brother Says It’s ‘Angering’

Jussie Smollett speaks to reports on March 26, 2019, after prosecutors drop charges against him. (Credit: YouTube/Fox News)

Jussie Smollett’s brother says the actor is being held in an “psych ward” in a Chicago jail and it’s “not right.”

Two days after Smollett was sentenced to five months in jail for lying to police about a staged homophobic and racist attack, his brother Jocqui Smollett took to Instagram Saturday to express anger over the way the Empire star is being treated.

“So Jussie is currently in a psych ward at Cook County Jail. What’s very concerning is that there was a note attached to his paperwork today and put on the front of his jail cell saying that he’s at risk of self-harm,” Jocqui said in a video posted on Jussie’s Instagram page.

Related StoryJussie Smollett Sentenced to 150 Days in Jail for Hate Crime Hoax

He added that the actor is not at risk of harming himself and should not be on suicide watch.

“I want to just make it clear to folks that he is in no way, shape or form at risk of self-harm,” Jocqui said. “He wants to let folks know that, that he is very stable, he is very strong, he is very healthy and ready to take on the challenge that ultimately has been put up against him.”

Jocqui continued by saying, “This is not right. This is completely, a lack of justice. It’s angering. It’s an outrage.”

On Thursday, Jussie was sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to police, three years after he falsely claimed he was the victim of a hate crime on the streets of Chicago.

Cook County Judge James Linn handed down the sentence and ordered the actor to pay the city of Chicago $120,000 in restitution for investigating the bogus crime. Additionally, Linn slapped the actor with a $25,000 fine.

The case began on Jan. 29, 2019, when Jussie claimed “two unknown offenders” approached him after he left a Subway sandwich shop.

A police investigation led to the actor being accused of staging the incident by paying two brothers to attack him. He was convicted in December 2021.

During the sentencing hearing, Jussie insisted he “is not suicidal,” and that if he suffers any harm while serving his sentence, “I did not do it to myself.”

Jussie’s family members have continued to insist he is innocent.

On Friday Chicago TV station WGN reported that the judge ordered Smollett to be held in “protective custody” to keep him away from the general population of 6,000 prisoners at the Cook County Jail.