Taraji P Henson recently spoke out about the Jussie Smollett sentence saying emphatically that she isn’t going to argue or debate about his innocence but she thinks that the punishment did not fit the crime.
She goes on further to compare aspects of the Emmitt Till story to justify her statement.
In a post on Instagram that has the comments turned off she said:
I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime.
Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false.
No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal. He has already lost everything, EVERYTHING! To me as an artist not able to create that in itself is punishment enough.
He can’t get a job. No one in Hollywood will hire him and again as an artist who loves to create, that is prison.
My prayer is that he is freed and put on house arrest and probation because in this case that would seem fair. Please #freejussie
see below:
View this post on Instagram
According to TMZ Jussie’s brother told his followers that his sibling had been placed in the psych ward wing of Cook County Jail suggesting that he was there against his will.
Tarjai’s comparison is very odd, we cant figure out if she is saying that Jussie should be free because the men who committed the crime Emmitt Till are free? Or if she is simply saying he should not be in jail for 6 months because he has already lost so much in his life?
Twitter had some interesting perspectives:
Two things can be true.
You can believe that Jussie Smollett lied and was wrong for what he did.
But you can also know that incarceration isn't the answer and that his punishment is excessive and abusive — period.
That's where I'm at with it, personally.
Jail time is wrong.
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) March 14, 2022
and
It’s highly inappropriate to relate the two! This is not it sis he made up all this mess pic.twitter.com/krFdBuuTft
— Lady ThickGa? (@PlasticThckdoll) March 13, 2022
and
Tbh it does, even if he lied. A fine and house arrest is MORE than enough. No one died, no one was directly harmed or traumatised as a result. So jail time isnot fitting imo
— jessed (@jess3d_) March 13, 2022
and
It makes me a little disgusted how she just brings up black trauma in completely unrelated contexts just to support her own argument…
— Maxipad#2 (@MaxipadNo2) March 13, 2022
and
My people are on their own with this one pic.twitter.com/2917hULtMu
— Lil girl your life is calling⁷ (@ch33rylips) March 13, 2022
Feel free to comment your opinions below!
