Actor Jussie Smollett is opening up about his past controversies in tonight’s episode of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test.

In an exclusive clip obtained by Decider, Smollett sits down with DS Jason “Foxy” Fox and DS Jovon “Q” Quarles for his mirror room scene, where he explains why he decided to sign on for the FOX competition series, which puts celebrities through the grueling Special Forces selection process.

“[There are] just certain things that have happened to me,” he begins. “Certain things [that were] extremely public and kind of being painted as someone that you’re not and somehow getting the chance to show who you actually are.”

According to Smollett, the public has taken him for “someone who is dishonest.”

“They’re painting me just basically as the opposite of who I actually am,” he continues. “I mean, the complete opposite of who I am. It bothers me.”

In January 2019, Smollett reported to the Chicago Police Department that he had been the victim of a hate crime after two masked men jumped him, poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him, and wrapped a rope around his neck before referencing MAGA (the “Make America Great Again” slogan coined by President Donald Trump), per BBC.

The next month, Smollett was charged with “disorderly conduct and filing a false police report” and subsequently arrested after police claimed he had paid his assailants to stage an attack. While the charges were initially dropped, the City of Chicago later brought more charges against the Empire alum. Despite maintaining his innocence, once the case went to trial, Smollett was found guilty of five of the six counts of disorderly conduct in December 2021 and sentenced to 150 days in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $145,000.

Smollett served six days of his sentence before his release, and in November 2024, the guilty conviction was overturned.

See what else Smollett has to say about his past when Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs a new episode tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.