The city of Chicago and actor Jussie Smollett have reached a settlement six years after he allegedly orchestrated a hoax hate crime against himself, per NBC News.
In April 2019, city officials sued Smollett, accusing him of submitting a false police report on January 29, 2019 for a hoax hate crime. The lawsuit sought $130,000 used on the police investigation into the incident in which authorities said Smollett falsely claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. Police said Smollett knew his attackers and planned the attack.
The actor previously filed a countersuit, denying the allegations that he orchestrated the hate crime and made a false police report.
On Monday (April 28), the city and Smollett informed the court that they had settled “but need more time to finalize documentation.” The details of the settlement remain unclear.
The hate crime hoax case stemmed from Smollett’s claims that masked Donald Trump supporters yelled racial slurs, poured bleach on him, and wrapped a rope around his neck. However, the Chicago Police Department found no evidence of the attack.
In December 2021, Smollett was convicted on five felony counts for staging a hate crime. He struck a plea deal to forfeit his $10,000 bond and complete 15 community service hours, which he finished.
Smollett was later prosecuted and sentenced in March 2022 to 150 days in county jail. He was released early as his lawyers appealed the special prosecution. The Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction in November 2024 over prosecutorial issues.
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