Janet & Joel Smollett
Janet & and the late Joel Smollett are the parents of actor and singer Jussie Smollett –from hit TV show Empire.
Earlier this week, their 35-year-old son was the victim of a vicious attack. Reports say Jussie was on the phone when he was attacked by two men around 2am outside of his Chicago apartment building.
Smollet who is openly gay and happens to be black –was walking home from a sandwich shop when two men who called him racial and homophobic slurs – doused him with an ‘unknown chemical substance’ previously reported as bleach before putting a rope around his neck.
Born June 21, 1983; the California native is a former child actor who is known for his early ’90s roles in The Might Ducks and North. He attended Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, NJ.
In 2012, he played Magnus in The Skinny. Smollett’s resume includes the 2014 film Ask Me Anything, and appearances on The Mindy Project and Revenge. Since 2015, he plays the gay character Jamal Lyon on the hit Fox drama. Other film roles include appearing in Alien Covenant and Marshall.
He is one of six children born to Janet & Joel Smollett –who are also parents to Jojo, Jazz, Jurnee, Jake and Jocqui. All of their children are also in showbiz. The Smollet siblings often pay praise to their parents for their support.
Janet Smollet was born Janet Harris, she is of African American descent. She keeps a relatively low profile and is known through their famous children. Her recipes were made famous on a cooking book published by her children: The Family Table Cook Book.
Joel Smollet was born October 8, 1956 –he worked as a cable splicer, he migrated from Russia and Poland to America. Sadly, he lost his battle to cancer at age 58 back in 2015. At the time of his death, Jussie shared on social media “I love and honor you. I will continue to work hard to make you proud and will always & forever be your son. You live on. Fly high Daddy.”
Following the death of her husband, Janet Smollett, is often pictured with her children on their social media.
