What’s the Age Difference Between Jurnee and Jussie Smollett?
It seems like Jussie Smollett’s name is everywhere these days. He gained fame for his role in the musical drama Empire, on which he starred from 2015 to 2019. But not a lot of people realize he’s not the only celebrity in his family. Smollett comes from a creative circle that also includes his Emmy-nominated sister Jurnee Smollett, known for her work in movies and TV shows like Full House, Friday Night Lights, and Lovecraft Country.
Their childhood
Smollett was born in Santa Rosa, CA, and is the middle child of his five brothers and sisters. Jussie Smollett’s siblings are, from oldest to youngest, Jojo, 44, Jazz, 41, Jurnee, 35, Jake, 32, and Jocqui, 28. There is a four-year age difference between Jurnee and Smollett, 39.
As children, the siblings started pursuing work in modeling, acting, and music, per The New York Times. Jurnee would get her first big break with her role on Full House (1987-1995) as Denise Frazer, Michelle Tanner’s best friend. One thing led to another, and by 1994, the Smollett siblings ended up getting their own show.
On Our Own featured them as orphaned children trying to find a way to stay together. Though there was only one season, Jurnee told The Times “it was like heaven.”
Jussie Smollett’s rise to fame
Smollett would go on to appear in projects such as the 2012 film The Skinny and the Mindy Kaling hit The Mindy Project, via IMDb. But it was Empire that made him a star.
Created by Lee Daniels, the show told the story of a music mogul who, after receiving devastating news about his health, tries to find someone to take control of his company. Smollett starred as one of his sons. The series also featured Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Bryshere Y. Gray, and Trai Byers.
Smollett received much praise and recognition for his singing and acting abilities on the show. He appeared for the most of its five-year run before being written off in 2019 amid claims that he had lied about an alleged hate crime.
Smollett claimed he was walking in Chicago early one morning in January of 2019 when he was attacked by two men. He reported that they used racial and homophobic language toward him, doused him in some chemical, and threw a noose around his neck, per The Times.
His claims drew widespread media attention and launched an investigation by Chicago police. Authorities announced later that Smollett had faked the attack and charged him with disorderly conduct. He was found guilty and sentenced to five months in jail in March of 2021. Smollett continues to deny the allegations against him.
What has Jurnee Smollett said about Jussie Smollett’s legal woes?
Since his sentencing, Jurnee has joined her siblings in calling for Smollett’s release. She shared a “#FreeJussie” post on her Instagram over the weekend of March 11, writing that her brother is “innocent.”
“Black Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at nearly five times the rate of White Americans. Jussie is innocent. And…you don’t have to believe in his innocence to believe he should be free,” she wrote, adding the hashtag #FreeJussie#StopLockingUpOurPeople.”
