Jurnee Smollett Says ‘It’s No Secret’ Her Family Is ‘Heartbroken’ After Several Recent Hardships
Actor Jurnee Smollett and her family members — including brother Jussie Smollett — have dominated the entertainment industry for years, with each carving their own niche. However, the recent past hasn’t been too kind to the Smolletts, and Jurnee Smollett is aware of it. Recently, she said “it’s no secret” that her family is “heartbroken” after several hardships in recent years.
Jurnee Smollett isn’t the only celebrity in the family
Jurnee Smollett isn’t the first celebrity in her family. As children, she and her siblings — Jojo, Jazz, Jussie, Jake, and Jocqui — pursued work in acting, modeling, and music. Jurnee Smollett got her first big break in acting when she appeared on Full House as Michelle Tanner’s friend Denise. By 1994, all the Smollett siblings had landed a show. On Our Own featured them as orphaned children navigating life and trying to stay together.
Jurnee Smollett also appeared in The Great Debaters playing Samantha Booke. Her character was loosely based on the solo female debater at Wiley College Henrietta Bell Wells. The role garnered her critical acclaim, and she received an NAACP Image Award for it.
In addition, she appeared on Grey’s Anatomy for two episodes and as a regular cast member on Friday Night Lights where she played Jess Merriweather. In 2013, she appeared in the Tyler Perry film Temptations: Confessions of A Marriage Counsellor, which was a box office hit.
In 2015, the actor appeared in Underground as a shy house slave on a plantation in the 1850s. She joined the DCEU in 2020 when she starred as Black Canary in the critically acclaimed movie Birds of Prey. That same year she began starring in Lovecraft Country as Letitia Lewis.
Jurnee Smollett says her family has been heartbroken
The Smollett family hasn’t had an easy time in recent years. Jurnee Smollett’s brother Jussie was a star thanks to his popular show Empire, which put his acting and singing abilities on display. However, in 2019, Jussie Smollett claimed to have been attacked by two men as he was walking in Chicago.
The actor alleged that his attackers used racial slurs, were homophobic, and doused him in chemicals before throwing a noose around his neck. Due to his star power and the serious nature of the claims, the actor received lots of support.
However, the claims also led to an investigation by authorities, who concluded that Jussie Smollett had faked his attack. This resulted in him being written off Empire and receiving jail time. Jussie Smollett continues to deny the charges.
As if her brother’s legal woes weren’t enough trouble for Jurnee Smollett, she filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Josiah Bell, in 2020. The pair had tied the knot in 2010 at a botanical garden with close friends and acquaintances.
Josiah Bell and Jurnee Smollett announced that they were expecting their first child together in 2016. However, in March 2020, Us Magazine reported that the actor had filed for divorce. That same year Lovecraft Country got canceled.
Jurnee Smollett told The New York Times in May 2022: “The past few years have been heartbreaking,” also considering that the Smollett siblings’ estranged father died in 2015 after a battle with cancer.
Things are looking up for Jurnee Smollett
Despite having a rough path, Jurnee Smollett has turned to the one thing she knows how to do best: acting.
She landed a co-lead role in Netflix’s Spiderhead alongside Marvel star Chris Hemsworth and Top Gun: Maverick star Miles Teller. The movie premiered on June 11, 2022. Smollett also landed her own spinoff movie Black Canary, which is in development, per Deadline.
