Jussie Smollett's net worth today: How rich is the Empire star?
Jussie Smollett is an American actor and singer best known for starring in the Fox drama series Empire. Some of his accolades include nominations for the BET and Teen Choice Awards. However, in 2019, the on-screen star’s life took a jarring turn after he staged a fake hate crime against himself. This resulted in a vortex of legal entanglement, which greatly affected his wealth and career. What is Jussie Smollett's net worth?
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Smollett began his career as a child actor in 1991. But it took one mistake for all his accomplishments to go down the drain. Despite appearing in one of the most valuable shows on broadcast TV, Empire, Jussie's net worth does not compare to some of his fellow cast members. Discover his career achievements and earnings.
Jussie Smollett's profile summary
| Full name | Jussie Smollett |
| Nickname | Jussie |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 21 June 1982 |
| Age | 41 years old (2024) |
| Zodiac sign | Cancer |
| Birthplace | Santa Rosa, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Alma mater | Paramus Catholic High School |
| Height | 5’11’’ (180 cm) |
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lbs) |
| Hair colour | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Sexuality | Gay |
| Marital status | Single |
| Parents | Joel and Janet Smollett |
| Siblings | 5 |
| Profession | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1991-1995; 2009-2021 |
| Net worth | $300,000 |
| Social media | InstagramX (Twitter)TikTok |
How old is Jussie Smollett?
Jussie Smollett (aged 41 as of 2024) was born on 21 June 1982 in Santa Rosa, California, USA. His parents are Janet and the late Joel Smollett, who passed away from cancer in 2015.
Source: Original
Jussie has three brothers and two sisters: Jojo, Jocqui, Jake, Jurnee, and Jazz, several of whom are also actors. Regarding his education, the singer graduated from Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey.
What is Jussie Smollett’s net worth in 2024?
Wealthy Gorilla estimates Smollett’s net worth to be $300,000. He has amassed this wealth from his acting and musical career.
Over the past few years, Jussie’s wealth has decreased significantly after his staged-attack incident. This is because the controversy hindered him from bagging acting gigs while at the time draining his finances in legal fees.
How did Jussie Smollett make his money?
The California native made his career debut at an age when most kids are preoccupied with playground antics. In 1990 and 1991, he starred in Mo’ Better Blues and New Jack City, respectively.
From 1994-1995, the on-screen star appeared alongside his five siblings in the short-lived ABC sitcom On Our Own.
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According to his IMDb profile, he has 23 acting credits. Below are some of Jussie Smollett’s movies and TV shows:
- Pitch This (2009)
- The Skinny (2012)
- As Me Anything (2014)
- Empire (2015-2019)
- The Tale of Four (2016)
- Star (2017)
How much was Jussie Smollett getting paid on Empire?
The actor played Jamal Lyon, a gay artist struggling to gain his father’s approval, in Empire. Distractify reports that he was making $65,000 an episode, citing a ‘’well-placed source.’’
However, The Hollywood Reporter suggests that Jussie Smollett’s salary on Empire was $125,000 per episode.
In 2019, his character was removed from the final two episodes of the show’s season five due to the assault controversy.
Source: UGC
Who made the most money on Empire?
Sportskeeda lists Taraji P. Henson as the highest-paid cast member of the television series. As Cookie Lyon, Jamal’s mother, she allegedly earned $175,000 per episode.
Jussie Smollett’s house
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor paid $1.687 million for a luxurious mansion in 2016. However, he sold the Los Angeles home at a $30,000 loss three years later in 2019.
Jussie Smollett’s legal issues
On 29 January 2019, the singer reported to the police that he had been attacked by two men wearing ski masks in Chicago. His attackers allegedly used racial and homophobic slurs against him.
In an interview with ABC News, Smollett described how the incident unfolded, saying:
I saw the attacker masked, and he punched me right in the face. We started tussling, and it was very icy. There was a second person involved who was kicking me in the back. Then it just stopped, and they ran off.
A couple of weeks later, Chicago PD discovered that he had allegedly paid $3,500 to two brothers to stage the attack. In February 2019, a grand jury charged him with a class-four felony for filing a false police report.
All the charges against Jussie were dropped in March, but Chicago City filed a case against him in April. He pleaded not guilty. On 30 April 2019, Fox Entertainment announced that the actor would not appear in season six but would pay him off per his contract.
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On 10 March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail for lying to the police, 30 months of felony probation, a $25,000 fine and $120,000 in restitution to Chicago.
On 1 March 2023, the on-screen star filed for an appeal of his 150-day sentence, but the court denied it. In March 2024, the court agreed to consider Smollette’s appeal, although no date was set for a hearing.
Jussie Smollett’s net worth has been a subject of public interest ever since he appeared in the TV series Empire. While he reportedly accumulated considerable wealth starring in the show, most of it was used in attorneys’ fees after he staged an attack against himself in 2019.
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