Latest news with #Smollett
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jussie Smollett posts bizarre Instagram screed proclaiming innocence and insisting he suffered hate crime attack
Hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett went on a bizarre Instagram rant in which he repeated his widely-debunked claim that he was the victim of a bias attack in the wake of his cushy settlement in his civil suit with the city of Chicago. '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,' Smollett wrote on Instagram Saturday. 'These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear…They have received neither.' Advertisement 3 Hate crime hoaxer Jussie Smollett went on a bizarre Instagram rant on Saturday. FilmMagic Smollett was convicted in 2021 for staging a phony hate crime against himself in Chicago in 2019, and was later sued by the Second City for $130,000 for the cost of the investigation into the bogus claims. The 'Mighty Ducks' actor and the Windy City have now settled their suit — with Smollett agreeing to donate $60,000 to two Chicago-based charitable organizations in lieu of paying the city. Advertisement The 42-year-old will donate $50,000 to nonprofit Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts and 'an additional' $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, according to the Instagram post. With this legal win on top of the shock overturning of his five felony charges by the Illinois Supreme Court— the 'Empire' actor is now celebrating what he called his 'innocence.' 'However, despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system,' Smollett wrote in the post. 'I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family name with the truth,' he continued. Advertisement 3 Jussie Smollett was sentenced to five months behind bars after being convicted of staging a hate crime against himself. via REUTERS 3 A still image from surveillance video on January 2019 showed two men who Smollett allegedly staged the phony hate crime with. REUTERS 'To everyone who has supported me, thank you. Your prayers and belief in me mean more than words can properly express,' he wrote, concluding, 'With Love & Respect, Jussie Smollett.' Despite Smollett's crowing over his legal success in the Illinois State Supreme Court, state officials claim that the overturning of the conviction did not mean the 'Alien: Covenant' actor was telling the truth. Advertisement 'Make no mistake: Today's ruling has nothing to do with Mr. Smollett's innocence,' special prosecutor Dan Webb said in a statement at the time. 'The Illinois Supreme Court did not find any error with the overwhelming evidence presented at trial… or the jury's unanimous verdict that Mr. Smollett was guilty of five counts of felony disorderly conduct,' Webb stated. The charges were overturned on Fifth Amendment rights violation, as Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx decided to drop the charges against Smollett after he was initially hit with 16 felony counts stemming from the bogus hate crime police report.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jussie Smollett speaks out after reaching civil settlement with city of Chicago
Actor Jussie Smollett is speaking out after reaching a settlement with the city of Chicago in a civil case related to the city's efforts to recover costs from its investigation into a 2019 incident that authorities claim was a staged hate crime. Smollett has always maintained he is innocent. Smollett addressed the resolution in a public statement shared Friday on Instagram. Jussie Smollett heartbroken over criticism after attack: 'You don't even want to see the truth' "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," he wrote. He added, "These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear… They have received neither." Smollett said his decision to settle "was not the most difficult one to make," explaining, "I was presented with an opportunity to make a charitable donation in exchange for the case being dismissed." Calling Chicago his former home, he noted, "Making a donation to benefit Chicago communities that are too often neglected by those in power will always be something I support." Smollett also announced a separate $10,000 donation to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, writing, "To anyone who has had to prove they have in fact been violated, you know how difficult this can be to navigate. I stand with and for you." In March 2019, Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bond to the city and agreed to perform 16 hours of community service as part of a separate agreement to drop all criminal charges related to the alleged false report, according to then-Cook County first assistant state attorney Joe Magats. The city filed a lawsuit in 2019 over $130,000, which the Chicago Police Department said it had spent investigating the actor's claims that he had been attacked in a racially and politically motivated incident. In November 2019, Smollett filed a counter lawsuit against the city of Chicago, claiming that authorities "maliciously" prosecuted him "in bad faith" and filed criminal charges against him "without probable cause." The counter lawsuit was filed in response to a lawsuit the city filed against Smollett in April, requesting $130,000 in civil penalties, damages and attorney's fees and costs arising from Smollett's alleged "false statements." Two brothers -- Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo -- later claimed that Smollett paid them $3,500 to help him orchestrate and stage the crime after Smollett allegedly became upset that a letter threatening him, sent to the Fox studio where the television series "Empire" was filmed, did not get enough attention, according to police. Police later accused Smollett of writing the letter. The brothers were not charged. As part of the new settlement agreement, Smollett will donate $50,000 to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a local nonprofit serving underprivileged youth in Chicago through arts and education programming. The donation was made in exchange for the dismissal of the city's lawsuit against Smollett, according to a statement released Thursday by the city's Department of Law. In an official statement, the department said, "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." Jussie Smollett speaks out after reaching civil settlement with city of Chicago originally appeared on
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
Jussie Smollett speaks out after reaching civil settlement with city of Chicago
Actor Jussie Smollett is speaking out after reaching a settlement with the city of Chicago in a civil case related to the city's efforts to recover costs from its investigation into a 2019 incident that authorities claim was a staged hate crime. Smollett has always maintained he is innocent. Smollett addressed the resolution in a public statement shared Friday on Instagram. "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," he wrote. He added, "These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear… They have received neither." Smollett said his decision to settle "was not the most difficult one to make," explaining, "I was presented with an opportunity to make a charitable donation in exchange for the case being dismissed." Calling Chicago his former home, he noted, "Making a donation to benefit Chicago communities that are too often neglected by those in power will always be something I support." Smollett also announced a separate $10,000 donation to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, writing, "To anyone who has had to prove they have in fact been violated, you know how difficult this can be to navigate. I stand with and for you." In March 2019, Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bond to the city and agreed to perform 16 hours of community service as part of a separate agreement to drop all criminal charges related to the alleged false report, according to then-Cook County first assistant state attorney Joe Magats. The city filed a lawsuit in 2019 over $130,000, which the Chicago Police Department said it had spent investigating the actor's claims that he had been attacked in a racially and politically motivated incident. In November 2019, Smollett filed a counter lawsuit against the city of Chicago, claiming that authorities "maliciously" prosecuted him "in bad faith" and filed criminal charges against him "without probable cause." The counter lawsuit was filed in response to a lawsuit the city filed against Smollett in April, requesting $130,000 in civil penalties, damages and attorney's fees and costs arising from Smollett's alleged "false statements." Two brothers -- Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo -- later claimed that Smollett paid them $3,500 to help him orchestrate and stage the crime after Smollett allegedly became upset that a letter threatening him, sent to the Fox studio where the television series "Empire" was filmed, did not get enough attention, according to police. Police later accused Smollett of writing the letter. The brothers were not charged. As part of the new settlement agreement, Smollett will donate $50,000 to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a local nonprofit serving underprivileged youth in Chicago through arts and education programming. The donation was made in exchange for the dismissal of the city's lawsuit against Smollett, according to a statement released Thursday by the city's Department of Law. In an official statement, the department said, "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."
NBC News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Jussie Smollett to make charitable donations to settle Chicago's hoax attack lawsuit
Weeks after the city of Chicago and Jussie Smollett announced a settlement to resolve their yearslong legal battle over the actor's 2019 claim that he was the victim of a hate crime, Smollett took to social media to disclose the terms of the agreement. Smollett said Friday he would donate $50,000 to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts charity as part of a deal to secure the case's dismissal. Smollett said would be making an additional $10,000 donation to the Chicago Torture Justice Center. NBC News reached out to both organizations and the city of Chicago to confirm Smollett's donations and details of the settlement, but did not immediately receive a response to a request for comment. The actor said his decision to settle the civil suit was 'not the most difficult' to make and allowed him to support the communities 'too often neglected by those in power.' Smollett, who is Black and gay, first reported a hate crime committed against him in January 2019, alleging that two men confronted him with racial and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck and poured bleach on him. However, police and city officials later said he orchestrated the hoax hate crime against himself. The city's suit accused Smollett of submitting a false police report on Jan. 29, 2019, saying he knew his attackers and planned the attack, and it sought $130,000 in expenses spent on the police investigation. Smollett countersued, denying that he orchestrated the attack. Brothers Olabingo and Abimbola Osundairo, who worked on the 'Empire' set, said they were paid by Smollett to stage the hate crime and testified against the actor during his trial. Smollett was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct in December 2021, and sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months' probation in March 2022, but the Illinois Supreme Court overturned the conviction in November 2024 over prosecutorial issues. The state high court ruled that Smollett should have never been charged in the first place after entering a nonprosecution agreement with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. Smollett has maintained his innocence over the years. He ended his post thanking his supporters.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jussie Smollett ends 2019 hate-crime hoax saga with $50K charity donation
has settled with the city of Chicago over the 2019 'hate crime ' hoax furor. The disgraced actor agreed to pay $50,000 to charity, six years after the city's law department first began pursuing him over the allegedly staged attack. Smollet was convicted in December 2021 of lying to police about an alleged homophobic attack by two men wearing MAGA hats. The former Empire actor's conviction was overturned l ast year due to a due process violation. The city of Chicago's Law Department filed a civil lawsuit against him in 2019 to recover more than $130,000 in costs incurred investigating his allegedly staged attack, after he failed to meet a city-imposed payment deadline. The terms of his settlement require that Smollett, 42, pays $50,000 to a charity of his choice, instead of paying the six-figures in restitution for the investigation, as per TMZ. Smollett has already chosen his charity, and donated the $50,000 to the Building Better Futures Center for the Arts organization in Chicago. A judge has yet to sign off to make it official. Building Better Futures Center for the Arts provides mental health support, art, music, and acting training for underprivileged youth in Chicago. Smollett had his conviction for lying to the police with a bizarre anti-Trump hoax overturned in a sensational ruling from the Illinois Supreme Court last November. The court found that the actor had his rights violated by a special prosecutor's decision to retry him after initial charges against him were dropped with an agreement that he would not be re-charged. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months' probation after it was proven that he fabricated the episode, and he was also slapped with a fine of $130,160. Smollett appealed the ruling and has not yet served a day of that sentence behind bars, even after his conviction was previously affirmed by a lower court in 2023 before the Supreme Court agreed to hear his appeal. The actor's hoax and later arrest sparked a media firestorm years ago, as it was found he had actually paid two Nigerian brothers - Abel and Ola Osundairo - to stage the incident. When Smollett first came forward with his story, the actor was met with widespread support, and the Chicago PD vowed to swiftly find his attackers. Smollett even showed police the noose that he claimed he was almost lynched with. Although Smollett claimed he was attacked by two white Trump supporters, detectives reviewed surveillance footage and zeroed in on the Osundairo brothers as suspects. When presented with a grainy surveillance picture of the brothers near the scene, Smollett said they were 'absolutely' the men who attacked him, not realizing they had already been arrested. One of his attorneys, Tina Glandian, claimed that Smollett may have misidentified the brothers - who he had also just been on the phone with moments before - because they could have been 'in disguise' in white makeup. She went on to point to a 2016 YouTube video of Abel Osundairo, the brother in question, where he is wearing white make-up to perform a Joker monologue for Halloween as proof of her theory. By that time, stories had leaked that detectives believed Smollett had concocted the story, seemingly in an attempt boost his public profile. Smollett went on Good Morning America to tearfully insist he was the victim, but by February 2019, a month after the incident, he was arrested and charged with filing a false police report, and his character from Empire was halted. However, despite a grand jury indicting him for repeatedly lying to cops, the charges against Smollett were then sensationally dropped a month later in March, sparking outrage from the public. President Trump led the backlash as he decried the charges being dropped as an 'embarrassment to the nation,' while Chicago Police Chief Eddie Johnson, who is Black, said at the time: 'Jussie Smollett took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.' The Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, said it amounted to a 'whitewash of justice' that proved Smollett was treated gently by the system because he is a celebrity and a prominent figure in the city. After he was fined $140,000 for wasting police resources, a special prosecutor was named to investigate why the charges against Smollett were dropped. It was this decision that has now led to Smollett's ultimate conviction to be overturned, as it was found his rights were violated because Smollett had agreed with prosecutors that he would not be re-charged at the time after the case against him was dropped. In February 2020 Smollett was indicted again on felony lying to police, and following a contentious trial where he maintained his innocence, Smollett was convicted at the conclusion of his trial in 2021. Smollett again sparked a backlash during his conviction hearing, as he triumphantly raised his fist to appear defiant, despite being caught in a lie. When the Illinois Supreme Court handed down the ruling to overturn that conviction, Chief Justice Theis and Justice Cunningham recused themselves from the decision. The court's opinion pointed to the agreement Smollett had with Illinois prosecutors after his charges were dropped. 'We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and believed it to be unjust,' the opinion read. 'Nevertheless, what would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the State was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.' Smollett is known for his role as Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama series Empire, where he starred from 2015 to 2019.
