Jussie Smollett to Settle Chicago Lawsuit with $50,000 Donation to Charity Ending Years of Legal Battles

Former “Empire” Actor Agrees to Charitable Donation After Lengthy Legal Dispute Over Hate Crime Investigation

Jussie Smollett, the actor once at the center of a highly publicized hate crime controversy in Chicago, has agreed to pay $50,000 to a local charity to settle a lawsuit filed by the City of Chicago. The suit sought reimbursement for the city’s costs incurred during the extensive police investigation into Smollett’s claims that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack — allegations that police later concluded were fabricated.

The Origins of the Lawsuit

In January 2019, Smollett reported being attacked near his Chicago apartment in the Streeterville neighborhood. He described the incident as a racist and homophobic hate crime. However, after an exhaustive police investigation, the Chicago Police Department determined that Smollett orchestrated the entire episode as a staged event.

Following his arrest, Smollett was convicted in 2021 for filing a false police report and staging the attack. However, this conviction was later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court on the grounds of double jeopardy, which prevents a person from being tried twice for the same crime.

Financial Consequences and Legal Back-and-Forth

Two months after Smollett’s arrest, the city filed a civil lawsuit demanding that he repay over $130,000, representing the costs of the police investigation. Smollett responded with a countersuit alleging malicious prosecution, maintaining that the attack was real.

Despite months of legal wrangling, last month federal court documents revealed that the city and Smollett had reached a settlement. The terms were kept private until recently, when Chicago’s Law Department confirmed that Smollett would make a $50,000 charitable donation in exchange for the lawsuit being dismissed.

Donation to Support Chicago’s Youth

The donation will be made to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, an organization dedicated to providing educational, health, and community opportunities to underprivileged youth in Chicago. The city’s Law Department described the settlement as a “fair, constructive, and conclusive resolution,” allowing all parties to close this six-year-old chapter and move forward.

Background and Controversy

The case has drawn intense media attention and public debate since 2019. Prosecutors initially dropped charges soon after Smollett’s arrest amid controversy over the handling of the case by then Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. However, a special prosecutor was appointed later, and Smollett was charged again.

During the trial, two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, testified that Smollett paid them to stage the attack. Despite his initial conviction, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled the second trial violated his constitutional rights, leading to dismissal.

A Complex Legal Journey Ends

The settlement and charitable donation mark the end of a long legal saga that involved criminal trials, civil suits, and heated public discussions about race, justice, and the credibility of victim claims.

With this agreement, Smollett and the City of Chicago move past a case that captured national attention, focusing instead on community support through the chosen charity.