Embattled former Empire actor Jussie Smollett is back to work after being convicted of faking a hate crime in Chicago earlier this year, ABC 7 Chicago reported.
Smollett, 39, makes his directorial debut in the movie B-Boy Blues, which is slated to air Thursday, June 9, on BET+, Yahoo! noted.
He also recently released a new song where he continues to maintain his innocence after his conviction for lying to Chicago police about the racist and homophobic attack in 2019 in the city's Streeterville area.
"Through our content slate, we are intentional about representing the fullness of the Black experience, including that of the LGBTQ+ community," said BET+ exec VP/GM Devin Griffin, according to Variety. "'B-Boy Blues' is an artful, heart-rending film about the complexity of lovesomething we all can relate to."
Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, including 150 days in jail, and a fine for making false reports to police. He was ordered released from jail on March 17 by the Illinois Appellate Court, pending appeal of his conviction and sentence, The Chicago Tribune previously reported. Special prosecutor Dan Webb opposed the move, writing in a motion that Smollett relied "on half-truths and misleading statements, at best, to manufacture an alleged emergency" and win his release on bond.