min read · August 7, 2025 · Entertainment

Jussie Smollett & Teresa Giudice in 'Special Forces': Fans Shocked!

SCANDAL IN THE DESERT: JUSSIE SMOLLETT JOINS SPECIAL FORCES CAST, FANS OUTRAGED

The upcoming season of the grueling reality show Special Forces: World's Toughest Test has just dropped its cast list, and it's a doozy. Among the 18 celebrity contestants competing in the Marrakesh-set fourth season are some familiar faces, but none as divisive as Jussie Smollett.

The disgraced actor, who was accused of staging a fake hate crime against himself in 2019, has landed a spot on the show alongside other reality TV favorites like Teresa Giudice and Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia. Fans are scratching their heads at the casting choice, with many taking to social media to express their outrage.

"It's like they're trying to revive his career or something," tweeted @linusvpelt. "I thought he was in jail."

Jussie himself seemed to be in high spirits about his new gig, sharing a wisecrack on Instagram that had some fans laughing, but many more cringing. "It was at this moment I said... 'I should've just done The Masked Singer,'" he quipped.

But not everyone is amused by Jussie's latest attempt to revive his flagging career. Many have pointed out the irony of a man accused of faking a hate crime for attention now competing in a show that involves actual physical and mental challenges.

"Someone giving Jussie Smollett a platform after all the s* he pulled is a little scary," tweeted @venusxedus. "Why is Jussie Smollett not in jail?"

Jussie's checkered past has been well-documented, but for those who may be new to the drama, here's a quick recap: back in 2019, he claimed to have been attacked by two Trump supporters who poured bleach on him and put a noose around his neck. However, it was later revealed that the attackers were actually his own former personal trainers, the Osundairo Brothers.

Jussie was subsequently convicted of five counts of felony disorderly conduct and sentenced to 150 days in jail, but he only served six days before his conviction was overturned on a technicality.

And now, it seems, he's back in the public eye once again. But not everyone is welcoming him with open arms.

"I see that Jussie [Smollett] is still trying to reinvent himself like we have forgotten he staged a fake hate crime to become famous," tweeted @toughtalkty. "This is bleak."

But Jussie isn't the only reality TV veteran competing in this season of Special Forces. Other familiar faces include Teresa Giudice, whose own brush with the law involved an 11-month prison sentence for fraud; Brianna "Chickenfry" LaPaglia, who was recently split from Grammy winner Zach Bryan; and Kody Brown, star of Sister Wives, who's down to one wife after his recent marital drama.

"It's going to be a wild ride," promises Kody. "Tune in and watch me and my peers suffer!"

But don't expect Jussie to go easy on himself or the competition. According to sources close to the show, he's been bonding with his fellow contestants, including Eva Marcille and Chanel Iman.

The real question is: will he be able to keep up with the demands of Special Forces? And more importantly, can fans trust that he won't try to fake his way through the challenges?

Tune in to find out on September 25 when Season 4 of Special Forces premieres on Fox/Hulu. But if you're planning on watching for Jussie's antics alone, you might want to prepare yourself for some serious eye-rolling.

The full cast list for this season includes: