Birthdays are a time to celebrate life, but they can also be the perfect occasion to pop the question. Empire‘s Jussie Smollett decided to make his 43rd birthday unforgettable by proposing to his boyfriend and fellow actor Jabari Redd. Smollett shared the exciting news on Instagram via a series of candid and romantic pictures capturing the proposal.
“I’ll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé… He said YES. 💍” he wrote in the caption. Based on the images, the proposal took place outside while they took a stroll, taking Redd by surprise.
Jessie’s older sister and producer, Jazz Smollett, couldn’t contain her excitement and showed love to the couple in the comment section of the engagement post on Instagram.
“Yaaaass!!! Welcome to the family Jabari!!! Love y’all!! Sooooo happy for you both! 🥰🥰🥰” Jazz wrote.
Former Cosby actress Jurnee Smollett, the younger sister of the newly engaged actor, was also elated about news of her brother’s engagement.
“Screaming with tears of joy! My whole heart loves both of you @jussiesmollett. Welcome to the family @jabariredd. ❤️❤️” Jurnee wrote.
We don’t know the engaged couple’s entire relationship timeline, but they did both feature in “The Lost Holiday,” which premiered in 2024. That could have potentially sparked their romance, but perhaps we’ll learn more about their love story in the near future.
This engagement news marks a fresh chapter for Smollett who faced public scrutiny for allegedly staging a fake hate crime against himself in 2019. Smollett claimed he was attacked by men shouting homophobic slurs at him in Chicago.
The actor was ultimately charged with multiple counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly staging a hate crime and lying to police. Although he plead not guilty to all charges, Smollett was found guilty on five counts in 2021, sentenced to 150 days in jail in 2022, and ordered to pay a fine of $145,000.
The saga continued—in November 2024, the Mighty Ducks actor’s conviction was overturned on the basis that him being charged twice. The actor reached a civil settlement with the city of Chicago earlier this year.
In a statement released on Instagram in May, Jussie explained the settlement and shared that he’s ready to close that chapter of his life.
“What I have to do now is move forward,” he said. “I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear, and defending my integrity and family name with the truth.”
We’re glad the actor can put his previous incident behind him and move forward. Congratulations to the couple on choosing to cement their love!