American actor Jussie Smollett has reached a settlement with the city of Chicago over the long-standing legal dispute surrounding his alleged staged attack in 2019.
As part of the agreement, the former Empire star will donate $50,000 (approximately £37,000) to charity.
This will effectively end the lawsuit filed against him by city officials.
The legal battle began in April 2019 when the city sued Jussie Smollett to recover over $130,000 (£96,000) spent on the police investigation into what authorities later determined to be a fabricated racist and homophobic hate crime.
Jussie Smollett has consistently denied orchestrating the incident, responded by filing a countersuit, accusing the city of malicious prosecution.
After years of legal back-and-forth, both sides reached a settlement last month
According to the city’s Law Department, the 42-year-old actor agreed to make a $50,000 donation to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts
It is a Chicago-based organisation that supports underprivileged youth through artistic programmes.
A representative for the department described the resolution as “fair, constructive, and conclusive,”
The case first made headlines in January 2019
Jussie Smollett reported being assaulted near his apartment by two men who allegedly shouted racist and homophobic slurs.
However, the narrative soon shifted when investigators claimed he staged the attack for publicity.
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Although the initial charges were dropped, Smollett was later recharged in 2020 and convicted of disorderly conduct in 2021.
That conviction was ultimately overturned in 2023.
