Jussie Smollett’s past legal issues mentally prepared him to take on special 4 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

“I certainly would think that I have, over the last years … been forced to become mentally stronger, in a way,” Smollett, 43, exclusively tells Us Weekly ahead of the Special Forces season 4 premiere on Thursday, September 25.

Smollett adds that he became stronger in a sense that he can “not be as affected” as he once was by the public’s opinion of him.

Smollett, who got his start as a child star in The Mighty Ducks and later rose to fame with his role as Jamal Lyon in Empire on Fox, made headlines in 2019 when he claimed he was the victim of a hate crime. He received support from fans and loved ones before authorities accused him of staging his own assault.

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