() Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett will appear at a settlement hearing Thursday, weeks after he settled a 2019 lawsuit with the city of Chicago connected to claims made by Smollett that he was the victim of a racist, homophobic attack six years ago.
A status hearing in U.S. District Court was initially set to take place on May 1, after the deal was reached, but was rescheduled for Thursday morning to allow sufficient time for documentation to be finalized.
The Chicago Department of Law announced the settlement, which indicated Smollett would make a $50,000 charitable donation to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts in exchange for the city dropping its lawsuit.
In a social media post, Smollett also announced he would make an additional $10,000 donation to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, which seeks to address the traumas of police violence and institutionalized racism.
“To anyone who has had to prove they have in fact been violated, you know how difficult this can be to navigate,” Smollett wrote on Instagram. “I stand with and for you. To everyone who has supported me, thank you. Your prayers and belief in me mean more than words can properly express. I will never take it lightly and will never forget.”
In a statement issued by the city’s law department, officials said that they believed the settlement “provides a fair, constructive and conclusive resolution” that allows both the city and Smollett to close a six-year chapter and move on.
Jussie Smollett maintains his innocence
Smollett wrote in the social media post that allegations made by Chicago city officials that he “willfully set an assault against myself … left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear.”
Smollett was convicted in 2021 of falsely reporting a hate crime, connected to a January 2019 incident in which he says he was jumped by two men. Smollett claimed that the two men yelled slurs at him while punching him in the face. The actor was later found guilty of five counts of disorderly conduct for setting up the attack. Testimony at the trial indicated that Smollett paid the two brothers $3,500 to carry out the attack.
Before Smollett’s conviction, former Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx initially dropped the 16 charges against the actor. She then recused herself from the case, saying she had communicated with a Smollett relative. She then indicated she was open to an independent review into how she handled the case.
A grand jury later indicted Smollett on six counts, and Smollett was found guilty on five of six counts of disorderly conduct. He was ordered to pay the city more than $130,000 in restitution and was sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months of probation. The amount of restitution equaled the amount in overtime that Chicago Police Department investigators lent to the matter.
Smollett’s conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2024.
