Jussie Smollett is leaving his legal troubles in the shadows as he reemerges in the spotlight to promote his latest project, The Lost Holliday, a film starring and directed by the actor, which was released for a limited run on Friday (Sept. 27).

His resurgence comes two years after his directorial debut with 2021’s B-Boy Blues and five years since he claimed to have been a victim of hate crime in Chicago, Illinois. In a new “Way Up with Angela Yee” interview promoting the flick, he opened up about moving forward with his career after a tumultuous few years.

“It certainly was a tough time unless anybody was living under a rock, yeah, it’s been rough,” he told Yee, adding, “But you know, this is what I do, I create art, and I hopefully create art that affects people in a really important and impactful and loving way. Anything else for me is just noise.”

In January 2019, Smollett alleged that he was attacked by two men in Chicago who yelled racist and homophobic slurs, tied a noose around his neck, and poured bleach on him. He was walking home from a nearby Subway, where he purchased a sandwich, when the incident unfolded. The next month he was charged with multiple counts of felony disorderly conduct and accused of filing a false police report. Police allege that he orchestrated the attack with brothers Obabinjo “Ola” and Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo.

The “Empire” star was found guilty during a month-long trial in December 2021. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation, and ordered to pay $145,000 in restitution to the city of Chicago. His lawyer appealed the ruling, which has allowed Smollett to regain his freedom after serving six days. The entertainer has remained steadfast in claiming his innocence.

“Even if the rest of the world has not moved on it, I am in the process of moving on from it. So, all I can really do is keep working and keeping myself mentally healthy, physically healthy, and spiritually healthy. And I have been working very, very hard in every single element of myself,” he said.

As for the naysayers, the “My Mind” singer is not focused on turning them into believers. “People are going to say what they wanna say,” Smollett quipped. “I can’t lie to you and sit here and be like, ‘Oh it doesn’t bother me. It just brushes right off.’ No. It bothers me. Sometimes it hurts my feelings, sometimes it really pisses me off.”

He admitted that given the media frenzy, it’s not a surprise to him that some people do not believe his story about being a victim of a hate crime. The entertainer explained, “As far as the public goes, I understand why they would feel like they did, based on the narrative that was spun. And then on top of the way it was served, in such a horrendous, egregious way that it just did not happen.” His appeal is currently under review by the Illinois Supreme Court.

Catch the full interview below.