Jussie Smollett is officially engaged!
On his 43rd birthday, Smollett decided to make the day extra special by popping the big question to his boyfriend, Jabari Redd. The actor shared the news on his social media account with a series of photos capturing the romantic moment.
“I’ll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé… He said YES,” Smollett wrote. The surprise proposal took place while they were taking a walk, which caught Redd by surprise.
The “Empire” star’s post was met with a lot of love and excitement from his loved ones and fans. His sister, Jazz Smollett, shared her excitement in the comment section under his post. “Yassssss!!!! Welcome to the family, Jabari!!! Love Y’all!! Soooo happy for you both!,” she wrote.
His younger sister and fellow actress, Jurnee Smollett also celebrated her big brother’s engagement. “Screaming with tears of joy! My whole heart loves both of you @JussieSmollett. Welcome to the family @jabariredd,” she wrote.
It’s unclear how long the couple have been together but they were both in the 2024 film, “The Lost Holiday.” This engagement comes after Jussie Smollett’s controversial court case after he was accused of staging a hate crime after he claimed he was attacked in Chicago by men calling him homophobic slurs in 2019.
He was charged with multiple counts of disorderly conduct and pleaded not guilty to all charges. In 2021, he was found guilty on five counts and sentenced to 150 days in jail in 2022, after which he was ordered to pay a $145,000 fine.