Jussie Smollett's former co-star and sister are among a group of his supporters who say the ex-"Empire" actor's jail-time punishment does not match the crime. 

On Thursday, Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of felony probation and ordered to pay restitution and a fine by Cook County Judge James Linn after being found guilty in December of staging a racist and homophobic attack.

Disgraced actor Jussie Smollett was sentenced on Thursday after being convicted last year of faking a hate crime against himself and lying about it to Chicago police, capping the swift fall from grace for the "Empire" star who had everyone from Joe Biden to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeting their support prior to his story falling apart. 

Smollett was sentenced to 30 months felony probation, restitution to the city of Chicago in the amount of $120,106, a fine of $25,000, and 150 days in the Cook County Jail. 

US actor Jussie Smollett has been sentenced to 150 days in jail after a jury found he lied to police about being the victim of a hate crime.

The former Empire star, 39, was found guilty in December of five charges of felony disorderly conduct after making false reports about the hoax attack.

The sentence also includes 30 months of probation and $145,000 (£110,000) in restitution and fines.

Following the sentence, Smollett said: "I did not do this!"

The trial stemmed from an incident three years ago when Smollett said he was attacked by two assailants.

Jussie Smollett, the former Empire actor who was convicted of staging a racist and anti-gay attack against himself, was sentenced to 150 days in jail on Thursday.

The jail punishment is part of a 30-month probationary sentence. Cook County Judge James Linn said Smollett would begin his time behind bars immediately and also ordered Smollett to pay $120,106 in restitution and $25,000 in fines.

“Actor Jussie Smollett, one-time star of the TV drama ‘Empire,’ was found guilty on Thursday of staging a hate crime against himself in what prosecutors said was a bid to gain sympathy and boost his career.” (Reuters)

The right applauds the verdict and criticizes prominent figures who failed to question the story despite its implausibility.

The left worries that this case will distract from actual hate crimes, but does not support jail time for Smollett.

The story of Jussie Smollett and the implausible hate crime attack against him is now familiar to nearly everyone.

The Jussie Smollett saga may now be technically over after a Chicago jury found the actor guilty Thursday of five of the six counts he faced, but its impact will be — and has already been — felt for years to come. It doesn’t matter if the actor, who starred on “Empire,” really was beaten up by people yelling “This is MAGA country!” and is wrongly being punished or if he did stage an elaborate hoax, as the jury decided he did by finding him guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct.

Democratic President Joe Biden and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris have left up tweets expressing support for actor Jussie Smollett after he was allegedly a victim in a racist and anti-gay hate attack that occurred on January 29, 2019. However, on Thursday, a jury found that Smollett lied about the attack.