Chicago is planning to sue Jussie Smollett for the cost of the investigation into what officials say was his fake claim of having been the victim of a racist and anti-gay attack. The Empire actor has refused to pay the $130,106 cost that was demanded in a March 28th letter from Mayor Rahm Emanuel‘s law chief for the overtime worked by detectives and officers looking into his claim.
The lawsuit by the City Law Department could potentially lead to a civil trial, where the city would have a lower threshold for proving Smollett staged the incident than would have been needed in criminal court. Emanuel and Chicago police were among those outraged when Cook County prosecutors suddenly dropped all 16 felony charges against Smollett last week, saying they believed they could prove the charges, but that it wasn’t worth the time and expense. Smollett didn’t admit wrongdoing — and in fact maintains he told the truth — but agreed to do some community service and forfeit $10,000 he’d paid in bond money.
Attorneys for Smollett said last week when city officials first brought up the idea of reimbursement that it’s the actor who’s owed an apology for, quote, “dragging an innocent man’s character through the mud.” Smollett alleged that two masked man assaulted him in Chicago early in the morning on January 29th, shouting racist and anti-gay slurs and “This is MAGA country,” referring to Donald Trump‘s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. He also said they put a noose-like rope around his neck.
Meanwhile, Jussie Smollett is reportedly coming back to Fox’s Empire. Taraji P. Henson told The View Thursday that following the Cook County State Attorney’s Office dropping of charges against him, he will come back to the show. She adds that she talks to Smollett “all the time” and that “he’s doing well.” Asked directly if his character Jamal would return next season, she said “I haven’t heard anything else.”
