The Controversial Jussie Smollett Headlines Pacific Northwest Black Pride

August 15, 2024• byMichael Strangeways

Multi-hyphenate star JUSSIE SMOLLETT is heading to Seattle this weekend to be a big part of Pacific Northwest Black Pride festivities which is happening August 16th through the 18th. The actor/writer/director/producer will be promoting his brand new film “The Last Holliday”, ahead of its national release on September 27th at multiple events on Saturday, August 17th.

It’s an interesting booking…Smollett was a promising young out gay actor starring in the Fox TV series “Empire” in January of 2019 when he announced he had been viciously assaulted in front of his apartment building in what he described as a hate crime. But, subsequent investigation revealed that Smollett knew his alleged attackers and he was charged with filing false reports to the police and subsequently tried and convicted. Since then, Smollet has fought a long legal battle to clear his name.

The controversy from the incident hasn’t exactly helped his career but Smollett has forged on by self producing his own projects including this new film which co-stars Vivica A. Fox, his former co-star from “Empire” who plays Cassandra, the mother of the recently deceased Damien, her long estranged son. After his death, Cassandra travels to Los Angeles to discover that her son’s funeral is being planned by Damien’s husband, Jason, played by Smollett.

The actor is scheduled to be at three events for Pacific Northwest Black Pride on Saturday the 17th, including the Pride Equity Awards & Dinner at the Grand Hyatt Seattle where Smollett will be given the Entertainment Trailblazer Award. That will be followed by a free movie screening of “The Last Holliday”.

Then, at 10pm, the action moves to the NFT Museum (2123 1st Avenue) for The Lituation: All White Party

To secure tickets to all of the Pacific Northwest Black Pride events (many of the events are FREE but you should register and reserve a spot) go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/pacific-northwest-black-pride-events-1031589

All events: https://www.nwblackpride.org/events

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.