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Jussie Smollett Settles Hate Crime Hoax Case with $50K Charity Donation After Six Long Years

BBG News

In simpler terms, Jussie Smollett has resolved a lawsuit stemming from the 2019 incident in which he was accused of falsifying a hate crime, with the city of Chicago.

In December 2021, Smollett was found guilty for fabricating a story about an incident that occurred in Chicago two years prior. He had reported that two men attacked him, used offensive language targeted at the LGBTQ+ community, put a rope around his neck, and wore “Make America Great Again” hats during the attack.

The former Empire actor’s, 42, conviction was overturned last year due to a due process violation. 

2019 saw the City of Chicago’s Legal team filing a civil suit against him, aiming to recoup approximately $130,000 spent on investigating an alleged sham attack, following his failure to make a required payment by the city-established deadline.

After six long years, the issue was officially closed with an agreement between all parties involved.

According to TMZ, instead of paying a six-figure amount for the investigation, the conditions of Smollett’s settlement state that he should donate $50,000 to a charity of his preference, rather than making the payment.

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Smollett has previously decided on a charity and has already given away $50,000 to the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts organization based in Chicago.

A judge has yet to sign off to make it official. 

The Building Better Futures Art Center offers artistic, musical, and dramatic education, as well as mental health assistance, to disadvantaged young people residing in Chicago.

In an extraordinary turn of events that unfolded last November, I found myself in a fortunate position where the Illinois Supreme Court overturned my previous conviction related to fabricating a story targeting then-President Trump – a tale that some deemed as unconventional.

The court determined that the actor suffered a breach of his rights due to the special prosecutor’s action of re-trying him, following the dismissal of the original charges against him under an understanding that no further charges would be brought against him.

After being found guilty of fabricating the incident, he received a 150-day prison term, 30 months on probation, and a significant financial penalty amounting to $130,160.

Smollett’s initial sentence hasn’t been served in prison, despite being convicted earlier and having his conviction upheld by a lower court in 2023. However, the Supreme Court has since decided to review his case, following his appeal.

Years back, the actor’s deception and subsequent apprehension ignited a frenzy in the media when it was uncovered that he had hired two Nigerian siblings, Abel and Ola Osundairo, to orchestrate the event they initially claimed was an attack.

Initially, when Smollett shared his account, it was greeted with broad backing, and the Chicago Police Department pledged to promptly identify his assailants. Smollett himself presented officers with a noose, which he asserted was used in an attempt to hang him.

Initially, Smollett asserted that he was assaulted by two individuals who supported Donald Trump, but investigating officers scrutinized surveillance videos and identified the Osundairo brothers as potential culprits instead.

Upon seeing a blurry security image showing the brothers close by, Smollett claimed they were undeniably the individuals who assaulted him, unaware that they had previously been taken into custody.

One of Smollett’s lawyers, Tina Glandian, suggested that Smollett might have mistakenly identified the brothers, whom he had recently spoken to over the phone, as they might have been wearing face paint or some form of disguise in white makeup.

Instead of directly pointing out the YouTube video, she referred to it as evidence for her theory, showcasing a 2016 clip featuring Abel Osundairo, the concerned brother, dressed up in white makeup for a Joker monologue during Halloween.

By then, rumors were circulating that investigators suspected Smollett himself had fabricated the tale, apparently aiming to increase his public image.

In February 2019, a month following the event in question, Smollett appeared on Good Morning America where he emotionally maintained his innocence. However, he was later apprehended and indicted for submitting a falsified police report. Additionally, his character on Empire was temporarily suspended.

Nevertheless, even though a grand jury indicted him for frequently lying to law enforcement officers, the accusations against Smollett were dramatically dismissed a month later in March, causing widespread public anger.

Or:
Despite being indicted by a grand jury for repeated falsehoods to police, charges against Smollett mysteriously vanished a month later in March, igniting fury among the general public.

In a different phrasing, President Trump spearheaded the opposition, expressing the dropped charges as a “source of national shame,” while Chicago Police Chief Eddie Johnson, who is African-American, stated previously that “Jussie Smollett exploited the suffering and outrage of racism to further his career.

In simpler terms, Mayor Rahm Emanuel expressed his view that justice appeared to be biased towards Jussie Smollett, as he’s a famous individual in Chicago, by describing it as a “watered-down version of justice.

Following a fine of $140,000 for misusing police time, an investigator was appointed specifically to look into the reasons behind the dismissal of charges against Smollett.

The ruling that overturned Smollett’s conviction stemmed from the discovery that his rights were infringed upon, since he had previously reached an agreement with the prosecution that no further charges would be brought against him following the dismissal of the case initially filed against him.

In February 2020, Smollett faced another indictment for lying to the police. After a heated trial in which he continued to claim his innocence, he was found guilty following the conclusion of his trial in 2021.

During his conviction hearing, Smollett’s actions once more ignited criticism when, after being exposed as a liar, he proudly raised his hand in a show of defiance.

In the instance when the Illinois Supreme Court decided to reverse the previous verdict, Justices Theis and Cunningham chose not to participate in making that decision.

The court’s verdict highlighted the deal Smollett reached with Illinois prosecutors following the dismissal of his charges.

The decision in this matter has sparked considerable public curiosity, and it’s clear that numerous individuals felt let down by the initial outcome, perceiving it as unfair.

However, it could hardly be fairer than deciding an individual criminal case. It would be even less just for this court to rule that the state is not obligated to uphold agreements on which people have suffered losses.

Jabari Smollett gained recognition for playing Jamal Lyon on the Fox TV show “Empire” from 2015 to 2019.

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2025-05-23 02:41

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