Thursday’s season 4 premiere of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test put actor Jussie Smollett to the test when he was yelled at by a military instructor and ominously recognized by a fellow contestant.
The reality competition follows a group of celebrities as they are put through a series of brutal challenges used in real-life Special Forces selection. Smollet and his fellow recruits, who include reality star Teresa Giudice and her daughter, Gia; model Chanel Iman; actress and America’s Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille; and more, spent their first hours on the show going directly into military-level training during which they were, yes, yelled at.
During a challenge that saw the recruits carrying supplies uphill, Smollett stopped to catch his breath, drawing the ire of a member of the Directing Staff.
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“Sixteen, what are you doing? What is your problem?” demanded veteran Navy SEAL Jovon Quarles, referring to Smollet by his recruit number. “You all are truly pissing me off, especially you, Sixteen. Sixteen, y’all better hurry up!”
The former Empire actor then tells the camera, “I’m okay with taking orders. I just don’t like to be yelled at, all up in my face. I don’t like being disrespected.”
Aside from the barrel mission, contestants were forced to do bear crawls in mud and repel out of a helicopter, before settling into the barracks where they will sleep (when they’re able).
Smollet and most of the others survived the first episode. Brittany Cartwright, who’s known for Vanderpump Rules, decided to leave the competition on the first day.
Pete Dadds/ FOX
Earlier in the premiere, Smollett explained why he signed on for the grueling series.
“I’m here because I’ve been through some s—,” he told the camera, “and it’s been very public. I was called a liar, with everybody believing something that was not true. This feels like a reset.”
Smollett was, of course, referring to the legal battle he’s been embroiled in since 2019. At the time, the actor said he had been the victim of a hate crime in Chicago for being Black and gay.
However, the Chicago Police Department said it had found evidence that Smollett had paid his alleged attackers in an incident that cost $130,000 to investigate. City officials filed a lawsuit, and Smollett a countersuit. He was later indicted by a grand jury on 16 felony charges, though his legal team struck a deal with prosecutors to have them dropped.
Later, a special prosecutor took on the case, and Smollett was convicted in a new trial. After he appealed, though, the Illinois Supreme Court declared that he should not have been tried a second time. He and Chicago settled their legal issues in May. Smollett has always maintained his innocence.
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Smollett, who’s hardly acted professionally since the saga, had an awkward moment with his Special Forces costar, Sister Wives‘ Kody Brown, after he recognized him. The men had a brief interaction in which the actor gave only his first name. It was only after Brown asked for a last name that he added the Smollett.
There was immediate recognition, which Smollett later mentioned to a fellow recruit, “We’re gonna have that conversation now,” he said, ominously.
The camera cut back to Brown, who said, “Second chance.”
Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
