Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett reaches settlement with city of Chicago in lawsuit over hate-crime hoax

The city of Chicago has reached a settlement with former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett in the lawsuit the city filed against him.

Smollett was convicted in 2021 on charges accusing him of staging a hate crime against himself in 2019. His conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court last year on double jeopardy grounds.

The city filed a civil lawsuit against Smollett two months after his arrest, seeking to have him reimburse the city more than $130,000 for the cost of the investigation that determined his claims of a racist and homophobic attack in Streeterville was a hoax.

Smollett filed a countersuit against the city for malicious prosecution, maintaining the attack was real.

Federal court records show the city and Smollett have reached a settlement agreement, but the terms have not yet been made public.

“The Parties contacted the courtroom deputy to advise they have settled, but need more time to finalize documentation,” according to a docket entry in the civil case.

A status hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday has been rescheduled for May 29. It’s unclear if terms of the settlement will be revealed at that hearing.

Smollett has claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack near his apartment after he walked to a nearby Subway in Streeterville in January 2019, but police and prosecutors have said an investigation determined Smollett staged the attack against himself as a “publicity stunt” because he was upset with his salary on “Empire.”

Under former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, prosecutors agreed to drop the original charges against him within weeks of his arrest. Amid questions of Foxx’s handling of the case, a special prosecutor later was appointed to reinvestigate the case, and Smollett was charged a second time.

Two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo, testified against him at his trial, saying he paid them to stage the attack.

The Illinois Supreme Court later ruled that trial violated his Fifth Amendment rights protecting him against double jeopardy, and ordered the case against him dismissed.

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