Jussie Smollett Sued By City Of Chicago To Recover Cost Of Hoax Investigation

Jussie Smollett is being sued by the city of Chicago to reimburse the cost of its investigation into his alleged attack in January.

The star claimed he was victim of a racist and homophobic attack but after investigation it turns out the attack was a setup.

Now the city is suing for funds used to conduct the investigation. The city’s law department filed a civil complaint on Thursday in the Circuit Court of Cook County “that pursues the full measure of damages allowed under the false statements ordinance,” a spokesman said in a statement to The Times.

This follows the actor refusing to reimburse Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on January 29, 2019. The city requested the recovery of nearly $130,000 that was spent on the investigation, as well as legal fees.

“[T]he City respectfully requests that the Court: A. Find that the City incurred necessary costs investigating and responding to Defendant’s [Smollett’s] statements made in violation of the MCC [Municipal Code of Chicago]; B. Order Defendant to pay the City’s response costs in an amount to be proven at trial; C. Order Defendant to pay the City a penalty in amount equal to the City’s litigation and collection costs and attorney’s fees; and D. Award such further relief as this Court deems just and equitable,” the document said.

This is the latest update on the ongoing case against the actor for the staged attack. Police claim that the attack was a hoax and Smollett orchestrated it to gain press and advance his career. Those allegations eventually led to a 16-count indictment, which was dropped last month and parts of the case were sealed.

Last week, when the city threatened a lawsuit to cover the cost of its investigation, Smollett’s defense attorney, Mark Geragos, responded that Smollett “will not be intimidated into paying the demanded sum.”