Jussie Smollett to pay $50,000 to Chicago charity in settlement

Actor Jussie Smollett has agreed to pay $50,000 (£37,000) to a charity in Chicago, settling a lawsuit town had filed towards him over accusations of mendacity a couple of hate crime.

Chicago police had wished Smollett to pay $130,000 to cowl the investigation prices, however on Thursday, Chicago’s legislation division confirmed that the donation can be made as an alternative.

The cash will go to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, an organisation that helps Chicago’s underprivileged youth.

In 2019, Smollett stated he was the sufferer of a racist and homophobic assault. But in a case that has seen many twists and turns, he was charged with mendacity to police. The fees have been later dropped, and Smollett has at all times maintained it was not a hoax.

A spokesperson for the legislation division stated: “The City believes this settlement supplies a good, constructive, and conclusive decision, permitting all of the events to shut this six-year-old chapter and transfer ahead”.

Smollett, who’s black and homosexual, had claimed two males punched him, yelled racial slurs, dumped a “chemical substance” on him and and put a noose round his neck whereas he was strolling down the road close to his condo in Chicago.

At the time, there was an outpouring of assist for the actor, with many celebrities making public statements condemning the violence and supporting Smollett.

But just a few weeks later, he was accused of creating the entire thing up, and charged with mendacity to police.

He was accused of sending a racist letter to himself, and paying two brothers $3,500 to stage the assault.

Smollett was discovered responsible in 2021, however the conviction was overturned final yr.