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3w ago

Jussie Smollett and Chicago Reach Confidential Settlement in Civil Lawsuit

The agreement resolves the city’s 2019 claim for $130,000 in investigative costs, with terms yet to be disclosed and court approval pending.

Jussie Smollett at the Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago in 2019.
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Overview

  • The City of Chicago and Jussie Smollett have agreed to a settlement in a civil lawsuit over investigative costs related to his 2019 hate crime claim, later deemed a hoax.
  • The settlement terms remain confidential, and both parties have requested more time to finalize the agreement before a May 29 status hearing in federal court.
  • The lawsuit sought $130,000 to cover police overtime costs incurred during the investigation of Smollett’s initial report of a racist and homophobic attack in Streeterville.
  • Smollett’s 2021 criminal conviction for staging the attack was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court in November 2024 on due process and double jeopardy grounds.
  • The settlement marks the end of a six-year legal saga, during which Smollett maintained his innocence and filed a countersuit for malicious prosecution.