Renowned actor, Jussie Smollett, has recently announced the resolution of his legal ordeal with the Chicago government officers. On May 23, Smollett extended his appreciation to everyone who stood with him during the extended legal conflict. He articulated: ‘Your unwavering faith and support in me are beyond words. I can’t express enough how much it means and I will always cherish it.
The star of the TV series, Empire, unveiled the details of the settlement in his announcement. Smollett expressed: ‘More than six years have passed since rumors circulated that I staged a brutal attack on myself. City Officials in Chicago promptly started building a conviction in the public eye that it was a self-inflicted assault. This unfounded story has tarnished my reputation, creating a mark that will be hard to wipe clean.
The officials were eager to wring out a confession from me and drain my finances for something I never committed. As of today, I hope it’s evident… They’ve achieved neither of their objectives.’
Smollett took the conversation further, ‘The choice to reach a settlement in the lawsuit wasn’t exactly challenging. Not once did I yield to paying the City, until an opportunity positioned itself where a charitable contribution could lay this case to rest.’
Revealing his donation to Chicago-based charities, Smollett added, ‘In spite of the political winds, Chicago was my home for over half a decade and its residents turned into family. It’s always been my mission to support Chicago’s often overlooked communities. Making donations to uplift these groups is a cause close to my heart.
I’ve gifted $50,000,00 directly to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts (BBF), which is a local nonprofit organization that does an exemplary job in nourishing creativity, self-expression, and art exploration for the young people of Chicago. The decision to support this entity was solely mine. It provides solace to know at least one positive outcome stems from this episode.’
Sharing further, he announced an additional donation. Dishing out the specifics, the star stated, ‘I feel privileged having resources to mount a defense. Many are less fortunate. They find themselves pushed into corners, forced to accept deals or admit to wrongdoings they never perpetrated. In their honor, I am giving an extra $10,000.00 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center that provides resources to communities recovering from the violent acts of the Chicago Police Department.
To everyone who has to stand up and fight just to validate that they are in fact victims, I understand the complexity of this journey. I stand alongside you.’ Smollett was charged with faking a hate crime by the City of Chicago back in 2019.
He lodged a complaint with the Chicago police in 2019, claiming to be the subject of a racist and homophobic hate crime perpetrated by two men. However, after an investigation carried out by the Chicago police, they alleged that Smollett himself funded the orchestrating of the hate crime.
Smollett met an arrest by the authorities under the belief that he engineered the ruse of an assault to extract a raise in his Empire salary. This accusation led to a lawsuit by the City of Chicago, asking for $130,000 to recover the money expended on unraveling the fabricated assault. A trial followed with a conclusion in 2020 that Smollett was indeed guilty of orchestrating the hate crime.
On being sentenced to a 150-day imprisonment, Smollett appealed. The Illinois Supreme Court, in 2024, overturned his conviction on the grounds that his prosecution lacked merit considering that the 2019 charges against him were initially dismissed. It’s worth noting that the court never delivered a verdict on the case’s ‘merits’ or questioned Smollett’s innocence or guilt. This marked a closure to the criminal case against Smollett, with the civil case still proceeding with the City of Chicago.
As stated by Jussie Smollett in his May 23, 2025 statement, the civil case against him is finally being dismissed.
Discussing the dismissal, Smollett expressed concerns about how his public image has borne the brunt. He penned, ‘Even though the Illinois Supreme Court unanimously absolved me of the charges and the civil case is now being dismissed, I realize it won’t shift everyone’s opinion about me or the assault I endured. Despite enduring costly attempts to penalize me, I am innocent in the sight of God and the criminal justice system.’
Jussie Smollett finally shared that he is now excited and ready to concentrate on his artistry and advocating for the causes that he believes in fervently.
This saga, having experienced its share of publicity, trials, and setbacks, serves as an important focal point in the discussion of justice and how legal disputes become intertwined with public perception.
The post Jussie Smollett’s Legal Ordeal Resolved with Chicago Government appeared first on Real News Now.
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