Jussie Smollett Agrees to Charity Donations to Resolve Lawsuit Over Chicago Hoax Attack

Weeks after Chicago reached a settlement with Jussie Smollett regarding his 2019 claims of a hate crime, Smollett took to social media to share the agreement’s terms. He announced that he would donate $50,000 to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts and an additional $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center as part of the deal to dismiss the case. While NBC News attempted to verify the details of these donations and the settlement with both the charity and the city, responses were not provided immediately. However, the Chicago Torture Justice Center confirmed Smollett’s donation via an Instagram post.

Smollett stated that deciding to settle the civil suit “was not the most difficult” choice, emphasizing his desire to support often overlooked communities. In January 2019, Smollett reported being the victim of a hate crime, claiming that two individuals attacked him using racial and homophobic slurs, placing a rope around his neck and pouring bleach on him. However, subsequent investigations revealed that Smollett allegedly staged the incident. The city filed a lawsuit against him for submitting a false police report, seeking $130,000 to cover investigation costs.

Smollett countersued, asserting he did not orchestrate the attack. The Osundairo brothers, who had worked on the set of “Empire,” testified against Smollett, claiming he had paid them to stage the attack. Ultimately, in December 2021, Smollett was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct. He received a sentence of 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation in March 2022.

However, in November 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned his conviction, ruling that he should never have faced charges due to a previous nonprosecution agreement. Throughout this ordeal, Smollett has continued to assert his innocence and expressed gratitude to his supporters.