According to TMZ, Jussie Smollett, who received a 150-day jail sentence last week, told his defense team before his sentence was meted out that he would get a more severe sentence because he is black.

“Sources with direct knowledge and in constant touch with the “Empire” actor tell TMZ … Jussie fully expected to get jail time,” TMZ reported. “He told his defense team before sentencing he felt he would be treated more harshly than other defendants convicted of a non-violent crime … all because of the color of his skin. He thinks it’s more evidence of systemic racism in the judicial system.”

“Convicted felon Jussie Smollett, who is currently serving a five-month prison term for falsely claiming to police that he was the victim of a hate crime hoax that he staged, had messages appear on his Instagram account on Saturday proclaiming his innocence and stating that he should be let out of prison even if people don’t think he’s innocent,” The Daily Wire reported on Saturday.