Lee Daniels Says Relationship w/ Jussie Smollett Is ‘Complicated,’ But He’s Open To Casting Actor In Future Projects Following Hate Crime Hoax

Lee Daniels Says Relationship w/ Jussie Smollett Is ‘Complicated,’ But He’s Open To Casting Actor In Future Projects Following Hate Crime Hoax

Lee Daniels’ thoughts on Jussie Smollett are still making headlines.

In a recent interview with Charlamagne tha God on The Breakfast Club, filmmaker Lee Daniels provided an update on his relationship with Jussie Smollett and whether he would work with the actor again.

Lee Daniels

Lee Daniels shared,

“We text each other. It’s so complicated. I still don’t know what to believe. God bless him on his journey.”

He added,

“I’d work with him again; I would cast him in something. He’s a son to me; he also represented me and the movement that I tried to start.”

This follows previous statements from Lee Daniels in 2019, in which he expressed his deep emotional struggle over Jussie Smollett’s legal scandal.

Jussie Smollett

Daniels admitted feeling “beyond embarrassed” for defending Smollett, who claimed to be the victim of a hate crime in 2019. Daniels also said he had to “detach” himself from the situation and limit communication with Smollett due to the emotional and mental toll of the controversy.

The situation involving Smollett, who was accused of staging a hate crime and later convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct, had significant repercussions, including his absence from the final season of Empire, the Lee Daniels show that launched Jussie into the national spotlight.

Despite his challenges, Jussie has continued to work in the film industry, most recently directing, writing, and starring in The Lost Holliday, which also features Vivica A. Fox.

Lee Daniels also continues to soar as he promotes his new film The Deliverance, which stars Andra Day, Glenn Close, and Mo’Nique.

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