Jussie Smollett Net Worth

What Is Jussie Smollett's Net Worth?

Jussie Smollett is an American actor, singer, and photographer who has a net worth of $300 thousand. Jussie Smollett began his career as a child actor in the early 1990s. He appeared in films like "The Mighty Ducks" (1992) and the TV miniseries "Queen" (1993) before taking a break from the entertainment industry. He returned in the 2010s with roles in independent projects such as "The Skinny" (2012) and appearances on shows like "Revenge."

His breakthrough came in 2015 when he was cast as Jamal Lyon on the hit Fox drama "Empire." Smollett portrayed a talented and openly gay musician, a role that earned him widespread acclaim for its emotional honesty and representation. He also showcased his musical abilities on the show's soundtracks and signed a recording deal with Columbia Records in 2015.

In January 2019, Smollett reported that he had been the victim of a racially and homophobically motivated assault in Chicago. Following an investigation, police concluded that he had orchestrated the incident himself. In December 2021, he was convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing false police reports. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay restitution. He served six days before being released pending appeal.

Despite the controversy, Smollett continued working in entertainment. He directed the film "B-Boy Blues" in 2021 and starred in the 2024 film "The Lost Holliday" alongside Vivica A. Fox. He remains a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and social justice.

Early Life

Justin Smollett, better known by the name Jussie, was born on June 21, 1982, in Santa Rosa, California. His parents are Janet (née Harris) and Joel Smollett. He has three brothers and two sisters, including Emmy-nominated "Lovecraft Country" star Jurnee Smollett. Jussie's family moved to New York City when he was two years old, and they lived in the Elmhurst neighborhood before moving back to California when he was seven. The family later moved to New Jersey. Smollett graduated from Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey.

Career

Smollett first began working as a child model in New York City. From there, he transitioned to being an extra on the sets of movies filmed in New York, like "Mo' Better Blues" (1990) and "New Jack City" (1991). He landed roles in the films "The Mighty Ducks" (1992) and "North" (1994), and then from 1994 to 1995, he starred alongside all five of his real-life siblings in the ABC sitcom "On Our Own."

Jussie stayed out of the spotlight until 2012 when he made his return to acting with the LGBTQ romantic comedy-drama "The Skinny" (2012) as the lead character Magnus. That same year, he was a guest star on an episode of the show "The Mindy Project," and in 2014, he appeared in an episode of "Revenge." Then, in 2014, Smollett landed the role of Jamal Lyon, a gay musician from a family in the music industry, on the Fox drama "Empire." His co-stars on the show included Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard. He appeared in seasons one through five of the show, although his appearances were removed from the last two episodes of the fifth season due to the Chicago "attack" controversy he was involved in at the time. While he was starring in "Empire," another project he appeared in was the show "Underground," which starred his younger sister, Jurnee Smollett. In 2017, Jussie appeared in "Alien: Covenant" and "Marshall."

In addition to his acting pursuits, Smollett has also pursued a musical career. He released his first EP, "The Poisoned Hearts Club," in 2012. Then, in 2015, he announced that he had landed a recording contract with Columbia Records. His debut studio album, "Sum of My Music," was released in 2018 through his own label, Music of Sound. Smollett also co-wrote several original songs for his show "Empire," including "I Wanna Love You" and "You're So Beautiful," which appear on the album "Original Soundtrack from Season 1 of Empire" (2015).

Empire Salary

During his time on the Fox drama "Empire," Jussie Smollett's salary increased substantially. In the early seasons, he was reportedly earning around $65,000 per episode. By the fifth season, his pay had climbed to approximately $125,000 per episode. With roughly 18 episodes per season, this amounted to about $2.25 million annually.

Despite earning millions, Smollett's salary remained significantly lower than that of his co-stars. Lead actors Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson were reportedly earning between $225,000 and $250,000 per episode, highlighting a substantial compensation gap within the cast. According to Chicago police officials at the time of the investigation, this disparity may have contributed to Smollett's alleged dissatisfaction with his position and pay.

Authorities claimed that Smollett orchestrated the January 2019 hate crime hoax in part to increase his public profile and leverage media attention into a higher salary. He allegedly paid two acquaintances $3,500 to carry out the staged attack, hoping it would spark public sympathy and elevate his perceived value to the show and network executives.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

Chicago "Attack" Incident and Aftermath

On January 29, 2019, Smollett reported to police that he had been attacked by two white men wearing ski masks. He claimed that the attackers tied a noose around his neck, poured gasoline over his body, beat him, and hurled obscenities about his ethnicity and sexual orientation. In his version of the events, the attackers recognized him from "Empire" and yelled, "This is MAGA country," referencing the slogan "Make America Great Again," popularized by President Donald Trump.

Over the following weeks, Chicago PD ultimately learned that Smollett likely was involved in the planning of the attack, which had been carried out by two brothers who knew him from being extras on "Empire." The brothers were reportedly paid $3,500 to carry out the staged attack.

In February 2019, a grand jury charged Smollett with a class 4 felony for filing a false police report. He subsequently turned himself in to the Chicago Police Department. In March, all of the charges filed against him were dropped, but then in April, the city of Chicago filed a case against him that resulted in him being indicted by a Cook County grand jury on six different counts. Both times charges were filed against him, Jussie pleaded not guilty.

On April 30, 2019, Fox executives announced that Smollett would not be returning for season six of "Empire." Fox reportedly negotiated an option to pay off Jussie for his season six contract, but would not be using him on the show. In other words, he essentially was paid to NOT work on the show for that season.

In 2020, following a public outcry and the appointment of a special prosecutor, Smollett was re-indicted on six new counts of disorderly conduct. In December 2021, he was found guilty on five of the six counts and sentenced in March 2022 to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and over $120,000 in restitution. He served six days before being released pending appeal.

Smollett's legal team argued that retrying him violated his Fifth Amendment protections against double jeopardy, citing the original 2019 agreement. On November 27, 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction, ruling that the state had violated due process by prosecuting him a second time after a dismissal was entered as part of an agreement.

In May 2025, Smollett and the City of Chicago reached a settlement agreement related to the case. While the terms have not been made public, both sides confirmed that a resolution had been reached, and they are scheduled to appear in court again on May 29. Throughout the ordeal, Smollett has continued to maintain his innocence.

Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Personal Life and Real Estate

Smollett publicly came out as gay in March 2015 during a televised interview with television host Ellen DeGeneres. In 2016, Jussie paid $1.687 million for a Los Angeles home. He sold the home in July 2019 at a $30,000 loss. Here is a video tour of his former home:

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