Jussie Smollett's feature directorial debut has found a home at BET+. B-Boy Blues is the actor and singer's first released project post-trial and sentencing. In March, he was sentenced to 30 months of felony probation, including 150 days in jail, and ordered to pay a fine after being found guilty of felony disorderly conduct for falsifying reports regarding being the victim of a hate crime in Chicago in 2019.

B-Boy Blues counts on Monami Entertainment's Mona Scott-Young as a producer. It is reported that she was the key component in landing BET+. Scott-Young is best known for executive producing VH1's Love & Hip Hop franchise.

B-Boy Blues is an indie-film adaptation of James Earl Hardy’s novel. The LGBTQ+ film follows the unlikely lovely story of Mitchell Crawford, a college-educated journalist from Brooklyn, and Raheim Rivers, a bike messenger from Harlem. It stars Timothy Richardson (David Makes Man), R&B and jazz musician Ledisi (Selma), Brandee Evans (P-Valley), Heather B (The Real World: New York), Marquise Vilson (The Kitchen), Jabari Redd (PHARMACOPEIA), Broderick Hunter (Insecure) and Thomas Mackey (Kaleidoscope).

Smollett collaborated with Hardy for the film's script and financed the film alongside Cleveland-based radio broadcast investor Tom Wilson for A SuperMassive Movie. Scott-Young is joined by Hardy for It’s All Jood Productions, Madia Hill-Scott for Winnienoah Productions, Stephanie Gayle for Monami Entertainment and Frank Gatson.

In a statement, Scott-Young said:

“B-Boy Blues is a beautifully bold, funny, heartwarming bromance and I was thrilled to partner with Jussie to help this wonderful film gain greater exposure. Falling head over heels and fighting for love are universal emotions and experiences and we are so grateful to BET+ for shining a powerful spotlight on the still seriously underrepresented black LGBTQ+ community and bringing this impactful love story to an even greater audience.”

The film debuted last year during the 2021 American Black Film Festival and was the recipient of the award for Narrative Feature Fan Favorite.

Jussie's involvement with the project dates back before his hate crime allegations. According to TMZ, Scott-Young agreed to participate with Smollett for B-Boy Blues before its launch and has remained committed to the project.

B-Boy Blues is set to debut on BET+ on June 9, just in time for Pride Month.

Related: Best Movies with Asian LGBTQ+ Characters

Jussie Smollett Arrested, Police Believe He Paid $3.5K to Stage Attack

During Smollett's trial, prosecutors argued that the Empire star lied to police about a hate crime. Smollett stated that two men attacked him, wrapped a noose around his neck, and doused him with bleach while making racist and homophobic slurs. Prosecutors believed that Smollett was trying to gain public attention through his claims.

A month after the initial allegations, then-Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett paid brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo $3500 to stage the attack. The brothers confirmed those reports. Smollett has continued to claim his innocence and shortly after the conviction, he was released on bond pending the outcome of an appeal.