Jussie Smollett still claims he was victim of hate crime after paying $60,000 to settle hate hoax

Jussie Smollett resurfaced on social media Saturday with a lengthy post insisting he was falsely accused of staging a hate crime in 2019, despite being convicted over the incident. His comments came just days after settling a civil case with the city of Chicago.

The former “Empire” actor reached a deal with the city in which he will donate $60,000 to two local organizations—$50,000 to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts and another $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center. This resolves the city’s lawsuit seeking $130,000 to recover the cost of investigating his false police report.

Smollett, now 42, was found guilty in 2021 of orchestrating a hoax in which he claimed two men attacked him in a racist and homophobic assault. He maintained his innocence throughout the trial and afterward, reports the New York Post.
 

Jussie Smollett says he is still the victim of a hate crime that he staged after agreeing to a settlement with Chicago.

Smollett has agreed to donate $60,000 but says he is still the victim and says the city of Chicago is slandering him.

Smollett was convicted in 2021 for… pic.twitter.com/W9WkWySlPp

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 25, 2025