Six years after a headline-making incident that challenged the intersection of celebrity, justice, and media scrutiny, actor Jussie Smollett has reached a settlement with the City of Chicago, choosing to close this turbulent chapter with a charitable donation rather than a courtroom battle.
The “Empire” star will donate $50,000 to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a community organization supporting creative exploration and educational opportunities for under-resourced youth in Chicago. The donation comes as part of a settlement to end a lawsuit brought by the city, which sought reimbursement for investigative costs tied to Smollett’s 2019 claim of being the victim of a hate crime, which officials later concluded was a hoax and “publicity stunt.”
“Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set an assault against myself. This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear,” the actor wrote in a statement posted on Instagram
Though Smollett was convicted and sentenced to jail time in 2022 for staging the attack and lying to Chicago police, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned that conviction in 2024 on double jeopardy grounds, citing constitutional protections. To this day, the “Empire” star has maintained his innocence.
“These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear….They have received neither,” he continued, explaining that the donation was presented after he refused to pay the city their requested $130,000. “Making a donation to benefit Chicago communities that are too often neglected by those in power will always be something I support. I’ve made a $50,000.00 donation to Building Brighter Futures (BBF) Center for the Arts…this organization was of my choosing and I’m comforted that there will be at least one winner from this experience.”
“The City believes this settlement provides a fair, constructive, and conclusive resolution, allowing all the parties to close this six-year-old chapter and move forward,” a Law Department spokesperson told CBS News.
In addition to the settlement donation, Smollett says he will give $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, which provides resources to communities healing from the violence of the Chicago Police Department, after acknowledging how grateful he is to have had the resources to defend himself.
“Though I was exonerated by the Illinois Supreme Court in a unanimous decision and the civil case is now dismissed, I’m aware that it will not change everyone’s mind about me or the attack I experienced. However, despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent both in the eyes of God and of our criminal justice system. What I have to do now is move forward. I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family name with the truth,” he said concluding the statement with a message of gratitude to everyone who supported him throughout his legal battles.
Smollett recently stepped back into the public eye with “The Lost Holiday,” a film written, directed and produced by the actor, which premiered on Prime Video earlier this month.
