Smollett to Pay $50k to End Lawsuit Dispute
Smollett to pay $50k to Chicago charity to settle lawsuit over hate crime hoax
Smollett to pay $50k to Chicago charity to settle lawsuit over hate crime hoax
Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has agreed to pay $50,000 to a Chicago charity to settle a lawsuit filed by the city seeking restitution for the cost of investigating his claims of a hate crime, which police determined was a hoax. Smollett was convicted in 2021 for staging a fake hate crime against himself, but the conviction was overturned on double jeopardy grounds. The city had sought over $130,000 in reimbursement for the police probe, while Smollett maintained the attack was real. The settlement agreement was reached last month, with Smollett agreeing to donate to a local charity in exchange for dismissing the lawsuit. The city sees the settlement as a fair resolution to close the chapter on the six-year-old case.
