Chicago filed a lawsuit against actor Jussie Smollett Thursday to recoup the cost of investigating his alleged fake hate crime.
Smollett, 36, has been accused of hiring two individuals to fake a hate crime against him for his personal benefit. He was charged with 16 felonies last month, but Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx decided to suddenly drop all of his charges on March 26, leaving police and city officials incensed. Now, Chicago is pursuing the “Empire” star in civil court, hoping to make him pay up.
The city had previously requested that Smollett pay $130,000 for the cost of overtime and work that went into investigating his high-profile claim that two men tied a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him while yelling slurs. Smollett is black and gay.
The lawsuit doesn’t specify a monetary figure, but suggests the city will be seeking more than $130,000 from Smollett. Under city code, that figure could be three times higher than the amount originally demanded, more than $390,000. Unless settled, the lawsuit would go to a jury trial, where Smollett’s fate would be decided by a group of fellow Chicagoans.
Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout and is expected to return to his role on the show “Empire” now that charges against him have been dropped. Despite state charges being dropped, President Trump has asked federal investigators to look into the case.
