Jussie Smollett is maintaining his innocence while settling his civil lawsuit stemming from his alleged 2019 attack hoax.
“Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City Officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set an assault against myself. This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear,” Smollett, 42, wrote in a statement shared via Instagram on Friday, May 23. “These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do. Today, it should be clear…They have received neither.”
He continued, “The decision to settle the civil lawsuit was not the most difficult one to make. After repeatedly refusing to pay the City, I was presented with an opportunity to make a charitable donation in exchange for the case being dismissed. Despite what happened there politically, Chicago was my home for over 5 years and the people became my family. Therefore, making a donation to benefit Chicago communities that are too often neglected by those in power will always be something I support.”
The Empire star went on to reveal that he had made a $50,000 donation to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a foundation that supports underprivileged youth.
“This organization was my choosing and I’m comforted that there will be at least one winner from this experience,” he continued in the statement. Smollett also shared that he donated an additional $10,000 to the Chicago Torture Justice Center “who provides resources to communities healing from the violence of the Chicago Police Department.”
The Chicago Torture Justice Center confirmed the actor’s donation in an Instagram post on Friday.
“This generous donation from Mr. Smollett is so meaningful and deeply impactful as we celebrate and honor the 10th anniversary of the historic Reparations Ordinance in Chicago,” the post read in part. “This 10th anniversary offers us a moment of reflection on what is possible when we stand together and imagine a better future for our communities. A world that values healing and repair, instead of punishment and incarceration.”
The post concluded, “Again, we are so grateful to Mr. Smollett and every donor who supports this necessary work.”
Smollett reported that he had been a victim of an alleged hate crime in January 2019, claiming that two men confronted him with racial and homophobic slurs before wrapping a rope around his neck and pouring bleach on him.
Police and city officials, however, claimed the actor was behind the hoax hate crime, going on to accuse him of submitting a false police report and claiming he knew his attackers, brothers Olabingo and Abimbola Osundairo, who alleged they were paid by Smollett to stage the attack. The city sued the actor for $130,000 related to the police investigation into the alleged attack. Smolett denied the claims and countersued.
Smollett was found guilty on five counts of felony disorderly conduct in December 2021 and sentenced to 150 days in jail and 30 months probation in March 2022. Two years later, in November 2024, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned the conviction, citing prosecutorial issues.
In his Saturday statement, Smollett maintained his innocence, writing that while he “was exonerated by the Illinois Supreme Court in a[n] unanimous decision and the civil case will now be dismissed, I’m aware that it will not change everyone’s mind about me or the attack I experienced.”
“However, despite arduous and expensive attempts to punish me, I am innocent in the eyes of God and our criminal justice system,” the statement continued. “What I have to do now is move forward. I will continue creating my art, fighting passionately for causes I hold dear and defending my integrity and family name with truth.”
He concluded by thanking his supporters over the years, saying that their “prayers and belief in me mean more than words can properly express.”
