Netflix‘s upcoming documentary, The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, is poised to stir up quite a media uproar. Slated to release on August 22, 2025, and produced by RAW, the powerhouse behind Don’t F**k with Cats and The Tinder Swindler, the documentary takes viewers back to the heart of the 2019 Jussie Smollett controversy and the fallout that followed. Smollett claimed he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack in Chicago.
The documentary features interviews with police, legal experts, journalists, and Smollett himself, aiming to reignite debate over whether his claim was a genuine hate crime or a hoax that gripped the nation. The recently released trailer for The Truth About Jussie Smollett? has been met with mixed reactions. Critics have decried the documentary as PR spun to rehabilitate Smollett’s image and have debated whether the documentary is necessary, especially given the scandal’s heft. In unearthing fresh perspectives and revisiting the emotional and legal complexities of Smollett’s case, Netflix, through its documentary, could fundamentally reshape how the world remembers the Jussie Smollett saga.
What Will ‘The Truth About Jussie Smollett?’ Reveal?
The trailer for The Truth About Jussie Smollett? reveals that viewers will be propelled straight into the fray, beginning with the moment that forever altered the story. The documentary revisits that fateful night in January 2019, with chilling recollections from former law-enforcement officials, who describe the “polar-vortex” conditions and question whether anyone would be out in the streets in such weather. The tell-all project also includes sit-downs with Smollett himself, who continues to steadfastly deny wrongdoing and insist on his innocence, alongside commentary on why he believes the public narrative shifted so dramatically.
RAW’s signature style, which makes itself known through the trailer, also heightens the tension. Audiences see legal experts and journalists revisiting the confounding inconsistencies of the case, and debating whether new evidence challenges the official record. All these revelations are intertwined with multiple interviews that beg the question of “whose version of the story can be trusted?”.
Ultimately, Netflix’s take on the Smollett case promises both revelation and reconsideration, presenting the immediate chaos of the incident and the broader questions that The Truth About Jussie Smollett? aims to unpack. By framing the documentary as a work that is simultaneously an investigation and a character study, Netflix positions its take as a deep dive into unraveling a case that simply refuses to stay buried.
What Is the Jussie Smollett Story About?
Reconstructing the viral saga, the documentary charts the journey from headline-grabbing hate crime to courtroom showdown. The story begins with the 2019 incident, where Smollett reported being attacked by two masked assailants, triggering a national outcry and an immediate outpour of sympathy and outrage. Yet, the narrative soon shifted.
The authorities accused Smollett of staging the attack, paying the Osundairo brothers, and fabricating the hate crime. The claim was supported by surveillance footage and evidence that tied the brothers to the purchases of rope, masks, and bleach. The initial charges were dropped under controversial circumstances in 2019, and Smollett performed community service and forfeited a bond. Despite this, the decision was blasted as being atypical and questionable.
A special prosecutor later re-indicted Smollett. This resulted in a 2021 conviction, where Smollett was found guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, fined, and ordered to pay restitution of over $120,000 in police overtime. However, the twists did not end there. In November 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction, citing the violation of a plea agreement and fundamental unfairness. In May 2025, Smollett settled with the City of Chicago. The agreement included a $50,000 donation to charity. Taken together, these events illustrate how media, justice, and empire collided, creating a lawsuit labyrinth that Netflix now seeks to reassemble.
Why Is Netflix Unearthing the Smollett Case Now?
Netflix’s choice to forge ahead with The Truth About Jussie Smollett? has been met with a certain degree of contention. By bringing back a saga stained by race, politics, and celebrity, the platform appears to be banking on controversy as currency, knowing that the documentary will likely rekindle heated debates. Users on Reddit have already voiced suspicion, with @beehappy32 writing:
“It seems really weird to me that Netflix is making this documentary. I don’t think they’ve advertised it or promoted it at all, probably because they know they’re going to get a lot of negative feedback. Netflix docs are very popular, but I think this is really going to hurt Netflix’s credibility. If they make a documentary about Jussie being innocent, then people are going to stop trusting what they say in all their other docs…I think a lot of people are going to be mad at Netflix for making this, and it’s going to make them look like the National Enquirer instead of a real documentary producer.”
This push-and-pull dynamic suggests that Netflix may be courting outrage just as much as empathy. The intent of the streamer could be to reframe public memory or even simply to ride the wave of publicity around the reinstated controversy. The documentary’s timing, releasing six years after the incident, may deliberately reignite conversation, forcing audiences to question their previous beliefs. Coupled with RAW’s reputation for exploring moral gray zones, as they did with Tinder Swindler, the question at the forefront of viewers’ minds is whether the documentary is a bid to humanize Smollett, critique the media, or spotlight the limits of truth.
Ultimately, Netflix’s decision to dig up Smollett’s story through The Truth About Jussie Smollett? underscores how media choices can shape legacy. With emotions still raw and the legal chapter freshly rewritten, the documentary may well redefine how the Smollett case is framed, and whether history remembers it as deception, injustice, or something far more complicated. The Truth About Jussie Smollett? is scheduled to release on August 22, 2025, on Netflix.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
