# Did you know who Jussie Smollett was before this year? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 21, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975 "2019-02-21T18:25:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/1 "2019-02-21T18:25:18Z")
I’d never heard of him until recently. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/2 "2019-02-21T18:30:51Z")
To be fair, I have never watched _Empire_, but, no, I’d never heard of him until the initial reports of the alleged attack hit the Chicago media a couple of weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/3 "2019-02-21T18:37:38Z")
I’m not entirely sure if someone used that name outside the context of the current news story I’d still know who he was. ```auto PERSON Jussie Smollett... ME Who? PERSON The guy who faked the attack in Chicago ME Oh, that guy. CUT TO BLACK ``` ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/4 "2019-02-21T19:10:29Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > To be fair, I have never watched _Empire_, but, no, I’d never heard of him until the initial reports of the alleged attack hit the Chicago media a couple of weeks ago. This is my answer too. I know Empire is a thing, but not my thing so I don’t know much about it. I also don’t think he had a huge role (but I could be wrong). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/5 "2019-02-21T19:16:53Z")
As others have said, I was aware there is a show called _Empire_. But I didn’t know who any of the cast members were. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/6 "2019-02-21T19:20:08Z")
I watched Empire for the first few seasons. It was pretty good. So, I knew who Jussie Smoleett was. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/7 "2019-02-21T19:27:01Z")
I voted yes(ish). I’ve never seen Empire so had no idea he was on that, but IIRC he’s been around since he was a kid and also has a sister in showbiz. Mostly I remember over the years having a weird, irrational dislike of the name “Jussie”. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/8 "2019-02-21T19:35:29Z")
I watched the first season and a half before I lost interest. I knew who he was. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/9 "2019-02-21T19:40:02Z")
No idea until hearing about what a winner the guy is(n’t). I also knew Empire was a thing, but the more I saw/heard about it the less interested I became in watching. Never watched it, never will now. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/10 "2019-02-21T20:21:52Z")
Never heard of him or the show before the fake attack. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/11 "2019-02-21T20:25:25Z")
I knew about the show, and other than being aware that Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson were the main stars, I didn’t know anything about it, or Smollett. ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/12 "2019-02-21T20:37:25Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I voted yes(ish). I’ve never seen Empire so had no idea he was on that, but IIRC he’s been around since he was a kid and also has a sister in showbiz. Mostly I remember over the years having a weird, irrational dislike of the name “Jussie”. Courtesy of this post I noticed that his name is Jussie and not Jessie ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/13 "2019-02-21T20:43:39Z")
Totally not on my radar, actor or show. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/14 "2019-02-21T20:45:07Z")
You needed a option of “I know who he is NOW”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/15 "2019-02-21T20:57:22Z")
Heard of “Empire”, but never heard of him before this fake attack thing. Also, never knew “Jussie” was a name until recently. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/16 "2019-02-21T21:05:28Z")
Yes. Never seen a single episode of Empire, but I worked for some FOX events he was at so I was familiar with his name & face. Honestly he came across a bit full of himself and expecting to bring a whole entourage to a closed & ticketed event. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/17 "2019-02-21T21:15:57Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I knew about the show, and other than being aware that Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson were the main stars, I didn’t know anything about it, or Smollett. This, except for the “and Taraji P. Henson” part. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/18 "2019-02-21T21:24:35Z")
So “Empire” is a TV show, is it? ---
**Author:** ![slightly\_askew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@slightly\_askew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slightly_askew)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/19 "2019-02-21T21:54:03Z")
I didn’t know who he was until I heard about him on NPR this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975/20 "2019-02-21T22:30:45Z")
No, and after looking at the poll, I can see why he thought he needed some publicity. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-you-know-who-jussie-smollett-was-before-this-year/829975.md?page=2)