Jussie Smollett, the actor embroiled in a controversial 2019 incident that authorities claimed was a staged hate crime, has reached a settlement with the city of Chicago. In retaliation, the city filed a $2 million dollar lawsuit against him. They are looking for reimbursement for more than $130,000 spent investigating his claims of being assaulted. Smollett has claimed innocence all along, and his defense was especially adamant about it during the trial.
The civil case resolution allows Smollett to donate $50,000 to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that serves underprivileged youth in Chicago. In return for this donation, the city promised not to pursue its lawsuit with him. Smollett said coming to a settlement wasn’t an easy decision, but necessary, arguing that he had been under pressure by city leaders he never should have had to answer to.
In his public statement released via Instagram, Smollett said he was upset with how his case played out. He remarked, “Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City Officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set an assault against myself.” This statement serves to underscore his mounting good faith battle against what he calls a #fakenews narrative.
Smollett commented on the impact of these accusations on his character: “This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear.” In fact, he pointed out that this settlement does not mean that he has ever done anything wrong. I was an inconvenience. These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession without evidence for something I did not do. Today, it ought to be obvious… They’ve gotten neither,” he continued.
The case originated in January of 2019. Smollett claimed to have been the victim of a racially and politically motivated attack. Two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, testified that Smollett had paid them $3,500 to stage the hoax attack. On top of that, Smollett was charged with sending a noose-laden letter to the Fox studio where his show, “Empire,” was filmed.
Prompted by the city’s lawsuit, in November 2019 Smollett became proactive and filed a counter lawsuit against the city. He counterclaimed that the authorities, in bad faith, maliciously prosecuted him. Despite these ongoing legal battles, he expressed a desire to contribute positively to the city that he once called home: “Making a donation to benefit Chicago communities that are too often neglected by those in power will always be something I support.”
The City’s Department of Law commented on the conclusion of this case, stating, “The City believes this settlement provides a fair, constructive, and conclusive resolution, allowing all the parties to close this six-year-old chapter and move forward.”
