SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — On Thursday, the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the conviction of actor Jussie Smollett, who faced accusations of fabricating a racially motivated and homophobic assault against himself in downtown Chicago in 2019, along with allegations of deceiving law enforcement.

In his appeal, Smollett contended that a special prosecutor should not have been permitted to engage after the Cook County state’s attorney dropped the charges initially. The state’s highest court conducted hearings regarding the appeal in September.

Smollett, who identifies as Black and gay, claimed that he was attacked by two men who hurled racial and homophobic insults at him and placed a noose around his neck, triggering an extensive search for the suspects by the Chicago police and igniting an international outcry. At the time, Smollett was starring in the television series “Empire,” which was shot in Chicago. Prosecutors asserted that he staged the incident due to dissatisfaction with how the studio handled hate mail he had previously received.

In 2021, a jury found Smollett guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct. Smollett has consistently asserted his innocence throughout the proceedings.

His legal team argued that the case should have concluded when the Cook County state’s attorney’s office dismissed an initial 16 counts of disorderly conduct after Smollett undertook community service and forfeited a bond of $10,000. However, following the involvement of a special prosecutor, a grand jury reintroduced the charges against him.

Evidence presented during the trial suggested that Smollett paid $3,500 to two acquaintances from “Empire” to orchestrate the attack. Prosecutors claimed he instructed them to yell racial slurs and reference his involvement in “MAGA country,” linking it to Donald Trump’s campaign slogan.

During his testimony, Smollett maintained that “there was no hoax” and insisted he was indeed a victim of a hate crime in his neighborhood in downtown Chicago.

He received a sentence of 150 days in jail, of which he served six days prior to being released while his appeal was pending. Additionally, he was given 30 months of probation and directed to pay approximately $130,000 in restitution.

An appellate court upheld Smollett’s conviction, stating that there was no guarantee provided to him that he would avoid further prosecution after agreeing to the original deal.

His attorneys have claimed that the actor has been subjected to a prejudiced and politicized criminal justice system, which they argue has unfairly targeted him throughout this process.