Jussie Smollett returns to Fox after hate crime hoax fallout
The competition series, which also features reality stars Teresa Giudice and Kody Brown, will follow 18 famous faces as they face off in a series of intense challenges used in real-life military trainings.
Smollett, 43, previously starred in the music drama 'Empire' from 2015 to 2019. He left the show after claiming two men attacked him on a Chicago street and threw a noose around his neck while spewing racial and homophobic slurs.
Both men later came forward saying they were hired by Smollett to stage the incident, which Smollett has denied. He was charged with filing a false police report and disorderly conduct.
'Empire' creator Lee Daniels subsequently wrote him out of the Fox series.
'That whole situation was complicated. I still don't know what to believe,' Daniels admitted in an interview with The Breakfast Club last August. 'People say he didn't do it, he did do it. God bless him on his journey.'
Despite the controversy, Daniels said he's open to working with Smollett again on a future project.
Charges against Smollett were initially dropped after a month in exchange for his completion of community service, but after another investigation in 2020, Smollett was charged again. The case ultimately went to trial, where the actor was found guilty and sentenced to 150 days in jail.
In November, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett's conviction as part of a plea deal in exchange for community service and the forfeiture of his $10,000 bond. He also agreed to donate at least $50,000 to Chicago's Building Better Futures Center for the Arts to resolve the city's lawsuit against him.
In May, Smollett released a statement saying he's ready to 'move forward.'
'I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family with the name of truth,' he said.
Season 4 of 'Special Forces: World's Toughest Test' premieres on Fox Sept. 25.
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