Crime & Law

City of Chicago Reaches Settlement With Jussie Smollett to Resolve Civil Suit

The city of Chicago and former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett appear to have reached a settlement in principle to resolve the city’s civil suit, which sought to recoup expenses tied to the actor’s hoax hate crime allegations.

Attorneys for the city and Smollett informed U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall they had reached a settlement, though specifics have not yet been released.

According to a docket entry for the court, the parties advised Kendall they needed additional time to finalize documentation. A spokesperson for the city’s Law Department on Thursday also confirmed there is a “settlement-in-principle,” but added that some terms are still being worked out.

Smollett was convicted of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021 and was ordered to serve the first 150 days of a 30-month probation sentence in jail, though he ended up spending only six days in custody before he was released pending appeal.

Late last year, the Illinois Supreme Court tossed out those convictions, ruling that special prosecutor Dan Webb had no standing to recharge Smollett after former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and her office initially resolved the case through a non-prosecution agreement, which saw Smollett forfeit the $10,000 he paid in bond and complete 16 hours of community service.

Smollett claimed to be the victim of an attack by two men near his Streeterville apartment in the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2019. He told investigators his attackers yelled racist and homophobic slurs before they hit him in his face, poured a chemical substance on him and wrapped a rope around his neck.

Following an investigation, Chicago police determined Smollett had hired the men — brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo — to stage the attack. Smollett was then charged by Cook County prosecutors in February 2019.

After those charges were filed, the city came after Smollett, demanding he pay back the $130,000 the CPD spent on overtime as it investigated his claims.

Smollett has consistently maintained his innocence. After his convictions were overturned, Smollett’s attorney Nenye Uche said the prosecution of his client was “not based on facts, rather it was a vindictive persecution, and such a proceeding has no place in our criminal justice system.”

A status hearing in the civil case originally scheduled for this week has been moved to May 29.

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