City of Chicago Sues Jussie Smollett as Actor Vacations in Hawaii
Weeks after all charges against Empire star Jussie Smollett were dropped, the city of Chicago has sued the actor.
According to CNN, the city of Chicago filed a civil suit Thursday in an attempt to recoup the money they say they lost during the investigation into an alleged attack that he reported in January. The funds include more than 1,800 hours in overtime, police said.
The department gave Smollett 7 days to pay $130,106.15, claiming that he lied about the attackers being white, which led them to classify the incident as a hate crime.
Smollet declined to pay the amount requested, which resulted in the city’s filing of the civil suit. Smollett’s attorneys, however, claim the move was an attempt to “harass and irreparably injure” him.
But under current city code, Smollett could be responsible for paying far more than $130K to the city. In fact, the actor could end up with a bill of almost $400K for the investigation of the incident, where he claimed that two masked men attacked him, poured bleach on him and placed a noose around his neck.
Smollett, meanwhile, has been spending time with his family in Hawaii after being cleared of all charges last month. He was spotted smiling and looking relaxed on the beach, in spite of Thursday’s news.
He has maintained his innocence and his account of the events since the beginning.
