Jussie Smollett to Donate $50K to Charity After Settling Lawsuit Over Police Investigation Costs

Jussie Smollett , the Empire actor accused of orchestrating a hate crime hoax , has consented to pay $50,000 to a Chicago Charity as part of an agreement following a legal case regarding the expenses of the probe into his assertions.

The An actor, who identifies as both Black and gay, said he was attacked by two men. , placed a noose around his neck and hurled racist and homophobic insults at him in Chicago back in January 2019. Two years subsequent to this incident, Smollett faced conviction for providing false information to the police concerning claims that he had orchestrated his own assault. The Illinois Supreme Court then got involved with the case. overturned the decision He has now consented to pay $50,000 to a local charity to resolve a lawsuit covering the expenses of the police investigation.

In April 2019, the city initially aimed $130,000 —the sum paid to the police for the 1,800 hours of overtime they worked as a result of his false statements. countersued and maintained that the assault was not a prank.

As shown in court papers, he had earlier settled with a $10,000 penalty and completed community service.

Now, as part of settling the lawsuit, the actor consented to pay $50,000. Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts , a Chicago-based organization that aims “to improve the quality of life for underprivileged youth and their families by providing safe, stable, and nurturing experiences that enhance social, emotional, academic, and career development.”

The Independent has reached out to Smollett for comment.

"This payment brings the total contribution by Smollett to the City up to $60,000, following his previous payment of $10,000 back in 2019. After the City initiated legal action with a lawsuit, further scrutiny came into play when a Special Prosecutor was appointed and an ensuing criminal trial took place. This process led to public disclosure of the evidence and resulted initially in a conviction which was later overturned due to procedural issues. Therefore, the City views this agreement as a reasonable, positive, and definitive conclusion, enabling everyone involved to finally put this lengthy six-year matter behind them," according to a statement released by the Chicago Department of Law.

Torri Hamilton, who represents Smollett legally, stated The Independent In a statement: "Jussie decided to conclude this saga by contributing to a charity that supports performing arts and underprivileged children in Chicago. He has always had great affection for the people of Chicago, and this lawsuit has persisted for six years. Choosing to move past it by backing a cause close to his heart wasn’t a tough call."

The groups involved had settled the previous month, however, details of their arrangement became known publicly just this Thursday.

A month following the actor’s statements regarding the assault, the former Chicago Police Chief Eddie Johnson charged Smollett with using "the suffering and fury caused by racism to further his own career."

"This publicity stunt was a wound that Chicago neither earned nor deserved," Johnson stated.

The city accused the actor of paying $3,500 to two Nigerian brothers, According to the 2019 complaint, he had "associates" who assisted him in planning and executing the attack.

In February 2019, counsel for the siblings stated released a statement saying they have "tremendous regret over their involvement in this situation.”

The continuation of the statement read: "They recognize the effects it has had nationwide, with particular attention to minority groups and specifically those who have personally endured hate crimes."

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