Latest news with #BuildingBetterFuturesCenterfortheArts
Black America Web
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Jussie Smollett Announces He's Engaged To Actor Jabari Redd: 'He Said YES'
Source: John Parra / Getty Jussie Smollett is officially off the market since proposing to his boyfriend Jabari Redd. The actor has been with his partner for a long time now and decided to make things official over the weekend, sharing how it all went down with an Instagram post. The carousel captures the exact moment Smollett took a knee and flashed the ring box to Redd. In the following photos, an ecstatic Redd holds his hand out for Smollett to slip the ring on, before other shots show the newly engaged couple embracing each other. Another photo shows a smiling Smollett, while Redd is clearly still taking in the moment. In the post's last photo, it shows the simple ring, which appears to be a sterling silver band with a single diamond placed in the center. 'I'll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé… He said YES,' captioned the photo, noting his June 21 birthday. Smollett and Redd have kept the details of their relationship private, and little is known about Redd. IMDb notes that he's a New York native who is an actor, producer, and director, and was in a few episodes of The Chi . He also appeared alongside Smollett in 2024's Vivica A. Fox-led The Last Holiday , which Smollett also produced. The couple hasn't released any info on the upcoming wedding. Still, he's got a lot to celebrate with his 43rd birthday passing, a fiancée, and recently settling the case attached to his alleged 2019 hate crime hoax. He finally closed that chapter last month when he was ordered to reroute $50,000 in restitution to the charity of his choice, selecting the Chicago nonprofit Building Better Futures Center for the Arts, which assists underprivileged youth and their families by encouraging their interests through the arts. 'Making a donation to benefit Chicago communities that are too often neglected by those in power will always be something I support, his statement read. 'This organization was of my choosing, and I'm comforted that there will be at least one winner from this experience.' SEE ALSO Jussie Smollett Announces He's Engaged To Actor Jabari Redd: 'He Said YES' was originally published on
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jussie Smollett pays $50,000 to charity to settle hate crime hoax lawsuit
Former 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett will reportedly donate $50,000 to charity to resolve the city of Chicago's lawsuit against the actor, who prompted a hate crime investigation with a fabricated claim he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. A judge still needs to sign off on the agreement to finally end a standoff that began in 2017 after investigators determined he staged the attack as a 'publicity stunt' to advance his career. Smollett's payment to a charity of his choice will settle the matter without requiring an admission of wrongdoing, according to TMZ. Chicago's Building Better Futures Center for the Arts, an organization that offers mental health services and education programs for underprivileged youth, will reportedly reap the benefits of his payout. Smollett claimed in January 2019 that unknown assailants put him in a noose and said 'This is MAGA country!' in the Windy City. But investigators allege that didn't happen, saying brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo confessed to having been involved in a scheme orchestrated by the actor to make it look as though he'd been accosted by bigots. Smollett is Black and gay. Abimbola claimed in a 2024 interview that Smollett didn't say why he wanted to perpetrate the hoax, but complained that TV producers weren't taking alleged hate mail sent to him seriously enough. The brothers thought helping a big TV star would advance their own acting careers. Smollett was found guilty on a handful of charges related to the scheme in 2021, but had his conviction overturned due to a plea deal with county prosecutors. He has denied wrongdoing. The investigation into his allegations reportedly cost Chicago taxpayers $120,000. ______
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jussie Smollett pays $50K to charity to settle hate crime hoax lawsuit
CHICAGO — Former 'Empire' star Jussie Smollett will reportedly donate $50,000 to charity to resolve the city of Chicago's lawsuit against the actor, who prompted a hate crime investigation with a fabricated claim he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. A judge still needs to sign off on the agreement to finally end a standoff that began in 2017 after investigators determined he staged the attack as a 'publicity stunt' to advance his career. Smollett's payment to a charity of his choice will settle the matter without requiring an admission of wrongdoing, according to TMZ. Chicago's Building Better Futures Center for the Arts, an organization that offers mental health services and education programs for underprivileged youth, will reportedly reap the benefits of his payout. Smollett claimed in January 2019 that unknown assailants put him in a noose and said 'This is MAGA country!' in the Windy City. But investigators allege that didn't happen, saying brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo confessed to having been involved in a scheme orchestrated by the actor to make it look as though he'd been accosted by bigots. Smollett is Black and gay. Abimbola claimed in a 2024 interview that Smollett didn't say why he wanted to perpetrate the hoax, but complained that TV producers weren't taking alleged hate mail sent to him seriously enough. The brothers thought helping a big TV star would advance their own acting careers. Smollett was found guilty on a handful of charges related to the scheme in 2021, but had his conviction overturned due to a plea deal with county prosecutors. He has denied wrongdoing. The investigation into his allegations reportedly cost Chicago taxpayers $120,000. ______
