Actor Jussie Smollett’s recent arrest for staging a homophopic and racist attack on himself seems to be the product of a publicity and self-promoting stunt.  Smollett has been charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.  The actor’s creative manager allegedly encouraged him to report the attack, in which the two attackers used homophobic and racial slurs against him and referenced “MAGA,” President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

Smollett’s actions are an isolated incident that most reasonable people would not imagine conjuring.  His exploitation of hate crime raises questions concerning the American people’s reception of such attacks in the midst of significant political tension.   

Smollett’s case is particularly intriguing because of his status as a public figure.  Hate crimes and staged crimes have overwhelming precedence, but his heightened stature in American culture attracted increased attention.  Attributing his motivation to a career move holds plausibility, but a hate crime contains an added weight.  Both President Donald Trump and Smollett’s family released statements condemning the heinous hate crime. 

In an interview with “Good Morning America,” Smollett stated, “It feels like if I had said it [the attackers] was a Muslim, or a Mexican, or someone black, I feel like the doubters would have supported me much more.”  Immediately, Smollett exploited racial tensions. This could indicate that the staging could have had political as well as personal motivation.

The danger of falsifying such a crime is, of course, that it devalues actual hate crimes.  With the current culture valuing social media presence and name recognition as much as it does, perhaps people now, especially celebrities, have more of an opportunity to exploit the real problems of hate for political or personal gain.  The ease that people now have to jump onto a political movement through social media and the Internet has both noble and dangerous possibilities. 

The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution affirms that anyone is innocent until proven guilty, regardless of the despicability of the crime.  Smollett’s case emphasizes a need to remember this clause, as many assumed the truth of his accusation because he claimed the role of victim.  Smollett himself has been charged with falsification, but a trial must remain the true determiner of his crime.  Perhaps the real culprit that allowed Smollett to get away with his accusation for so long was the culture of immediacy perpetrated by social media and the Internet.  Through such commodities, accusations and allegations are often taken at face value rather than receiving the patience they deserve and require in order to eventually reach the truth.