Jussie Smollett‘s 2019 hate crime hoax saga is now getting looked at with fresh eyes in an upcoming documentary.

Variety reports that Netflix has announced The Truth About Jussie Smollett?, a new documentary by Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal director Gagan Rehill and the producers of The Tinder Swindler, RAW. Executive producers include Tom Sheahan and Tim Wardle. The film will debut on Netflix Aug. 22.

What we know so far about ‘The Truth About Jussie Smollett?’

The documentary is reported to have new evidence as the filmmaker talks with folks close to the case to gain more insights into what they know and have recently uncovered. According to the Netflix logline, the documentary is “a shocking true story of an allegedly fake story that some now say might just be a true story. Featuring interviews with police, lawyers, journalists, and investigators who claim to have uncovered new evidence about the case, and with Jussie himself, this compelling documentary invites the audience to decide for themselves who is telling The Truth About Jussie Smollett?“

Variety reports Rehill’s statement on the film, with him saying that he is “excited” to bring the film to Netflix viewers.

“This story is a thrilling ride, and we were lucky enough to have access to the key players,” he said. “I wanted this documentary to balance their competing narratives and to also use their compelling, colorful testimonies to thread the light and shade of the story through the film.”

“But much more than that,” he continued, “I wanted this film to speak to the particular moment of rapid cultural change when this takes place in 2019; when, as a society, we were becoming more combative, more polarized, more divergent over our shared reality–when we began to lack a common singular truth.”

What to recall about the original case

The original 2019 incident included the Empire star claiming that white MAGA supporters assaulted him by pouring an unknown chemical on him and placing a noose around his neck outside of a Chicago-area Subway early in the morning during the height of the polar vortex. In the years that followed, particularly during the Smollett’s court case, police revealed that Nigerian American brothers who were also associates of Smollett’s and worked as extras on Empire were hired by Smollett to stage the attack. Phone records corroborated the belief that Smollett created the hoax, and closed-captioned camera footage and other information showed Smollett and the brothers rehearsing the attack. Evidence also showed that Smollett paid the brothers $3,500.

Smollett was eventually convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct and sentenced to 30 months probation, including 150 days behind bars. He was also ordered to pay over $120,000 in fines. The conviction was later reversed and in 2025, Smollett and the city of Chicago came to a settlement.

Throughout it all, Smollett has maintained that he hasn’t lied about his attack.

The Truth About Jussie Smollett?

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week