After six long years, Jussie Smollett and the City of Chicago have buried the hatchet, settling a civil lawsuit over his 2019 fake hate crime report. The deal was paired with an Illinois Supreme Court ruling that wiped out his criminal conviction. This update marks the end of a saga that rocked the ‘Empire’ star’s personal and professional life. Here’s the lowdown on how Smollett’s finally moving forward.
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Jussie Settles With Chicago Following His Overturned Conviction
On April 28, 2025, a court filing showed that Smollett and Chicago reached a settlement in the lawsuit over his 2019 false police report. According to FOX Chicago, Smollett was supposed to appear in court on Wednesday, May 1, but his attorney confirmed his client had settled the case in a docket entry. The deal details have not been publicly disclosed, as both sides have requested additional time to finalize the paperwork.
This comes after the Illinois Supreme Court, on November 21, 2024, threw out Smollett’s 2021 conviction for five felony disorderly conduct charges. In a 5-0 vote with two justices sitting out, the court said retrying him was unfair because he had already made a deal with prosecutors. He gave up a $10,000 bond in that deal and did 16 hours of community service. In return, the ruling erased his 150-day jail sentence, 30 months of probation, and $120,106 in fines.
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Chicago Wanted Jussie Smollett To Pay Up
Chicago wasn’t playing with Jussie Smollett after the 2019 incident. The city filed a lawsuit against him to recover over $130,000 spent on police overtime while investigating his claims. The city stated that Smollett paid $3,500 to brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo to assist him in staging a fake hate crime. They claimed his false report wasted police time and money. Smollett countersued, alleging unfair targeting and reputational damage. Despite his overturned conviction, Chicago persisted with the lawsuit until its recent settlement. Smollett will face his next court status hearing on May 29, where he and the city will likely finalize their agreement.
Jussie’s Rehab Stint And Comeback Plans
As The Shade Room previously spilled, Smollett checked out of a five-month outpatient rehab program in February 2024. He entered the program in October 2023 after his life took a hit from his 2021 conviction. The California native rebuilt his mental and emotional health by incorporating regular gym sessions into his recovery routine. He’d also signed a new management deal during this time.
Then, in September 2024, he hopped on Angela Yee’s radio show, ‘Way Up with Angela Yee,’ dishing on his big plans to storm back into the spotlight after years out of the limelight. Smollett gave a major shoutout to Mona-Scott Young for helping him map out his Hollywood return, saying, “A large part of the reason why I’m even sitting here, honestly, and able to come back outside and stop hiding up in my apartment and back up in Harlem, it’s really because of Mona.”
