Jussie Smollett pays $50,000 to Chicago charity to settle city lawsuit
- Jussie Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime in 2019, leading to a city lawsuit.
- To settle the lawsuit, Smollett will donate $50,000 to a local charity supporting underprivileged youth.
- The settlement aims to provide a conclusive end to the legal battles that spanned six years.
In 2019, Jussie Smollett reported being a victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago, claiming that two men assaulted him. The incident drew significant media attention and public support for the actor. However, subsequent investigations by the Chicago police revealed inconsistencies in his account, leading to accusations that he staged the attack. Smollett was charged with making false statements to the police and faced a lengthy legal battle. Initially, Chicago city lawyers sought to recover over $130,000 in costs incurred during the investigation. Over time, Smollett's legal challenges included a conviction for disorderly conduct, later overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court, demonstrating a complex series of legal circumstances surrounding the case. Recently, Smollett and the city reached a settlement where he agreed to donate $50,000 to BBF Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a non-profit organization focused on helping underprivileged youth in Chicago. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the resolution, emphasizing their desire to bring closure to the tumultuous six-year saga involving the actor.