A significant chapter in the highly publicized legal saga involving actor Jussie Smollett and the City of Chicago has reportedly come to a close. According to recent reports, Smollett has reached a settlement in the civil lawsuit brought against him by the city, agreeing to pay $50,000. However, this payment will not go directly into the city's coffers as reimbursement for investigation costs, but rather will be directed to a charitable organization.
The civil action stemmed from the widely debated incident in January 2019, where Smollett alleged he was the victim of a hate crime attack in Chicago. He claimed two individuals assaulted him, yelled racial and homophobic slurs, and referenced political slogans. The Chicago Police Department launched an extensive investigation into the claims, dedicating significant resources, including police officer time and overtime, to ascertain the facts of the alleged assault.
As the investigation progressed, the narrative shifted dramatically. Police investigators eventually concluded that Smollett had orchestrated the attack himself, allegedly paying two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, to stage the incident. This conclusion led to Smollett's arrest and initial charges of felony disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.
The initial criminal charges were abruptly dropped by the Cook County State's Attorney's office under Kim Foxx in March 2019. This decision proved highly controversial, drawing criticism from law enforcement and the public alike. The terms of that initial resolution involved Smollett forfeiting his $10,000 bond and completing community service, but notably included no admission of guilt and the sealing of the case records.
Following the furor over the dropped charges, a special prosecutor, Dan Webb, was appointed to review the case. This review led to a new indictment against Smollett in February 2020, again on charges of felony disorderly conduct related to making false reports to the police. This development reignited the legal battle and set the stage for a criminal trial.
Simultaneously with the rekindled criminal proceedings, the City of Chicago filed a civil lawsuit against Smollett in April 2019. The city sought to recoup the costs it incurred during the intensive investigation into Smollett's initial claims. The city calculated these costs, primarily related to police overtime and administrative expenses, to be in the range of $130,000. The civil suit argued that Smollett was liable for these expenses because his false reports necessitated the costly police response and investigation.
The civil lawsuit proceeded independently of the criminal case. While the criminal case focused on whether Smollett committed a crime by filing false reports, the civil case was concerned with the financial damages the city allegedly suffered as a direct result of those reports, regardless of the criminal outcome. The city pursued this civil action even after the initial criminal charges were dropped and continued it after the special prosecutor brought new charges.
In December 2021, Smollett went to trial on the criminal charges brought by the special prosecutor. A jury ultimately found him guilty on five of the six counts of disorderly conduct, convicting him for lying to police. He was subsequently sentenced in March 2022 to 150 days in the Cook County Jail, 30 months of felony probation, and ordered to pay over $120,000 in restitution to the city, as well as a $25,000 fine.
Smollett served only a few days of his jail sentence before an Illinois appellate court ordered his release pending his appeal of the conviction. The appeals process has been protracted and complex, adding further layers to the already convoluted legal narrative.
Then, in a significant development, the Illinois Supreme Court weighed in on the criminal case. In a decision last year, the state's highest court reportedly overturned Smollett's conviction. This decision was based on the argument that the subsequent prosecution by the special prosecutor violated Smollett's rights under the original agreement made with Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office, where he completed community service and forfeited bond in exchange for the initial charges being dropped. The court's ruling effectively erased the felony conviction and the associated requirements for restitution and fines in the criminal case context.
It is against this backdrop of an overturned criminal conviction that the civil lawsuit settlement with the City of Chicago has now occurred. The civil case had been pending for approximately six years, navigating the various twists and turns of the related criminal proceedings.
According to reports detailing the settlement terms, Jussie Smollett has agreed to pay $50,000. However, this payment is not going directly to the City of Chicago as a reimbursement check. Instead, the agreement stipulates that the funds will be paid to a charity chosen by Smollett.
The chosen recipient of the $50,000 donation is reportedly the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts, an organization located in Chicago. The mission of this center, as described in reports, focuses on providing mental health support, art programs, music instruction, and acting training to underprivileged youth within the city. By directing the funds to this local charity, the settlement aims to provide a benefit to the Chicago community, albeit indirectly related to the specific costs the city initially sought to recover.
Sources familiar with the negotiations have indicated that both parties – Smollett and the City of Chicago – have signed the settlement agreement. Furthermore, Smollett has reportedly already made the $50,000 donation to the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts. While the agreement is signed and the payment made, the settlement is still subject to final approval by a judge to officially close the civil case.
A key aspect of this settlement is that, like the terms of the original resolution orchestrated by the State's Attorney's office, this civil settlement reportedly includes no admission of guilt or liability on the part of Jussie Smollett regarding the alleged staging of the attack or the filing of false reports. This is a common feature in civil settlements, where parties agree to resolve a dispute and avoid the costs and uncertainties of trial without formally acknowledging wrongdoing.
From a financial perspective, the outcome is multifaceted. Jussie Smollett is paying $50,000, which is significantly less than the $120,000 to $130,000 the city claimed as investigation costs. By directing the payment to a charity, it's possible that Smollett may be able to treat this as a charitable donation for tax purposes, depending on applicable tax laws and his individual circumstances. This is a different financial implication than paying a direct judgment or restitution to a government entity.
For the City of Chicago and its taxpayers, the situation is less financially favorable in terms of direct cost recovery. The city pursued the civil suit specifically to recoup the substantial public funds expended during the investigation. While the $50,000 directed to a charity will benefit the community, it does not fully compensate the city for the claimed $120,000 plus in expenses. This means that the bulk of the costs associated with the investigation into the alleged hoax, approximately $70,000 or more, will ultimately be absorbed by the city and its taxpayers.
The settlement marks a definitive end to the civil litigation between Smollett and the city. It resolves the financial dispute arising from the 2019 incident and the subsequent investigation, removing the possibility of a civil trial and potential judgment for a larger sum against Smollett. For Smollett, it provides a path to fully move past the legal entanglements stemming from the incident, as both the criminal conviction has been overturned and the civil suit is being settled.
The choice of the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts as the recipient of the funds ties the settlement back to the Chicago community that was impacted by the events. Supporting an organization focused on youth development, arts, and mental health addresses needs within the city, potentially mitigating some of the negative public perception associated with the cost and disruption caused by the incident and investigation.
In conclusion, the settlement in the civil lawsuit between Jussie Smollett and the City of Chicago involves Smollett directing a $50,000 payment to a Chicago-based charity, the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts. This agreement, reportedly signed by both parties and pending judicial approval, resolves the city's claim for reimbursement of investigation costs. It concludes this specific legal battle without an admission of guilt from Smollett, while the city and its taxpayers will absorb the majority of the expenses incurred during the extensive investigation. This development closes another significant chapter in the complex and highly scrutinized legal proceedings originating from the January 2019 incident.