Janet Smollett: Empire Star Jussie Smollett’s Mother, How she Raised Six Remarkable Children?
In 2021, Empire actor Jussie Smollett made the news after being convicted for staging a hate crime hoax, resulting in 150 days of imprisonment and a hefty $145,000 (£110,000) fine.
Smollett, who’s always maintained his innocence, has since been cleared of all accusations with the recent court decision to overturn all five disorderly conduct charges against the actor.
By October 2024, the singer-actor made news again for another run-in with authorities—only this time, the crime was real and involved his mother, Janet Smollett.
According to a report by TMZ, Janet had her L.A. apartment nearly broken into by two burglars, damaging a window, costing $300. Luckily, Janet was unharmed throughout the entire ordeal.
Janet, 72, is often seen at red-carpet events accompanying the 42-year-old actor. Here’s everything you should know about Jussie Smollett’s mother.
Who is Janet Smollett?
If you love Jamal Lyons in Empire (2015-2020), you may have Janet Smollett to thank.
Born on November 27, 1952, Janet Smollett grew up in the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, at a time when racial inequalities ran rampant. With little exposure to the spotlight, details about Janet’s parents or whether she has siblings are unknown.
That said, we know she loved cooking even as a kid and passed her love for great food to her children, Jazz, Jake, Jurnee, and Jussie. She also contributed plenty of what’s written in their family cookbook, The Family Table: Recipes and Moments from a Nomadic Life.
Activist Life and Career
Born in an era of brazen racial inequality, Janet became active in civil rights movements in the 1960s. A member of the Black Panthers, she participated in campaigns and worked closely with prominent civil rights leaders.
Janet Smollett with her daughters Jazz and Jurnee
Image source: Instagram
“My mom was in the movement with Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, and one of her first mentors was Julian Bond,” Jussie said in an interview with The New York Times.
“To this day, Angela Davis is one of her dearest friends,” the actor added, referring to the political activist and former leader of the Communist Party USA in the 1960s who advocated for the abolition of prisons.
Marriage to Joel Smollett
Janet met Joel Smollett while participating in a civil rights campaign event in California. Joel was a Russian-Polish Jew who, despite their difference in race, shared similar values of justice and equality.
Image source: Instagram
It’s unclear when exactly the couple started dating, but they eventually married without issues in 1975. The couple had six children together, naming them with the same letters that started their own: Jazz, Jake, Jussie, Jurnee, Jojo, and Jocqui.
The Smollett family enjoyed quiet years together, bouncing between Los Angeles and New York. Jussie and his siblings were pursuing a career in acting, singing, and modeling then.
“We had a whole damn production because we had all these kids,” Jussie told The New York Times. “Everyone would have to get up and sing,” Jurnee went on.
Unfortunately, Joel passed away in 2015 after a long-time battle with cancer, leaving Janet behind with their children. He died on the day the first episode of Empire aired, a fact that affected Jussie deeply.
“The day that the show first aired, my father passed away,” the actor opens up in the SWAY’S UNIVERSE podcast. “It was [kind of] like a blur, to be honest with you.”
Janet’s Progressive Influence on Jussie Smollett
Janet’s progressive influence shaped the Smolletts’ childhood. Born into a family of prominent activists, Jussie and her siblings became vocal advocates of various civil rights movements.
The American actress, Alfre Woodard, even noted how the Smolletts act like “a model sibling unit” with a powerful sense of justice “in everything that they do.”
Janet Smollett’s 6 kids
Image source: Google
Like Janet, her children are politically outspoken, committing their lives to meaningful causes. As young high school students, the Smollett siblings supported the fight against AIDS in black communities and in eradicating apartheid.
In 2018, the Empire actor donated a significant portion of his “Sum Of My Music” concerts to the Flint Kids and The Black Aids Institute. A year before that, he also raised over $40,000 for his battle against HIV/AIDS.
Final Thoughts
Mothers bring out the best in their children. Despite growing up in an unjust system, Janet Smollett is living proof of that.
A civil rights activist at heart, she raised her children not only to be successful in their crafts but, most importantly, to be good, decent people.
As a parent myself, I can only hope to be half as good a parent as she is!
Featured image source: Google