Actor and singer Jussie Smollett has reportedly ended his engagement to fellow actor Jabari Redd, less than a year after publicly announcing their plans to marry.
According to reports, Smollett recently called off the engagement and the couple have gone their separate ways. Sources close to the situation say the former “Empire” star is now focusing on his music and acting career following the split.
The couple became engaged during Pride Month in June 2025 when Smollett shared photos of a public proposal on social media. The actor, who celebrated his birthday shortly afterward, announced the engagement with a heartfelt message revealing that Redd had accepted his proposal.
The news was warmly received by friends and fans, including Smollett’s former Empire co-star Taraji P. Henson, who publicly congratulated the couple at the time.
Redd has appeared in several television productions, including Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, The Chi and the film B-Boy Blues. He also worked with Smollett on the 2024 drama The Lost Holliday, which Smollett directed.
Smollett publicly came out as gay in 2015 and was once considered one of television’s rising stars. However, his career suffered a major setback following the highly publicized 2019 incident in Chicago in which he reported being the victim of a hate crime.
Authorities later concluded that the attack had been staged, leading to criminal charges against the actor. Smollett was convicted in 2022 for filing a false police report and sentenced to jail. However, the conviction was later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2024.
While neither Smollett nor Redd has publicly commented on the reported breakup, the end of the engagement marks a significant personal change for the actor, who had appeared optimistic about his future when announcing the proposal less than a year ago.
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