Netflix has unveiled the trailer for “The Truth About Jussie Smollett?,” its new true crime documentary about the 2019 hate crime claim that captured millions of Americans’ attention and the subsequent legal fallout that left just as many bystanders puzzled and scratching their heads.
The documentary is produced by RAW, the producers behind past Netflix documentaries like “Don’t F**k with Cats” and “The Tinder Swindler.” It features interviews with law enforcement officials, lawyers and journalists who all either took part in or covered its central case as it unfolded in real time, as well as a sit-down interview with Jussie Smollett himself about the subject.
As its trailer teases, the documentary, which promises to tell “a shocking true story of an allegedly fake story that some now say might just be a true story,” also includes interviews with individuals who claim to have uncovered new evidence about Smollett’s case. You can check out the first trailer for “The Truth About Jussie Smollett?” yourself below.
For context, Smollett, who was best known at the time for his role in the Fox drama “Empire,” filed a police report in 2019 claiming that he had been the victim of a racially motivated hate crime in Chicago. Local police, however, later alleged that he had staged the attack himself, and he was subsequently charged with filing a false police report. Those charges were dropped after Smollett paid a $10,000 fine and completed his mandatory community service requirements.
A complicated legal battle ensued, which resulted in Smollett being sentenced to jail, a decision that was reversed by the Illinois Supreme Court. All the while, Smollett has maintained his innocence.
Across its 90 minutes, “The Truth About Jussie Smollett?” will try to untangle the web of lies, opinions and facts that has been spun in the aftermath of its subject’s initial claim six years ago. In order for it to do so, the film and director Gagan Rehill will have to answer the question that one of the documentary’s featured figures pointedly asks in its first trailer: Who really can we trust?
“The Truth About Jussie Smollett?” premieres Friday, Aug. 22 on Netflix.
