Three writers tackle “Jussie Smollett and the Pressure of Hollywood Fame.” They explain that “with success came added expectations and pressure. His private life was no longer his own.”
I’m willing to stipulate that those pressures existed. But a lot of Hollywood stars have felt similar pressures without wasting police resources or putting other people at risk of wrongful arrest.
This bit of history, to its credit included in the THR write-up if not exactly taken to heart, seems more relevant to understanding Smollett than his recent career trajectory: “In 2007, he was stopped in Los Angeles for a DUI violation and lied to officers, telling them he was one of his brothers. He was later charged with false impersonation and given two years of probation.”
The article’s discussion of Hollywood’s reaction to the Smollett story raises one tantalizing question: What would the Oscars have been like if the story hadn’t been debunked until the day after?