Jussie Smollett Faces Lawsuit Over Attack, Could Get Fired From ‘Empire’

EMPIRE Season 5 EP 502
Jean Whiteside/FOX.

Jussie Smollett may have been cleared of all charges relating to his alleged hate crime hoax, but that doesn’t mean the mess is over.

In fact, according to TMZ, the city of Chicago is now reportedly asking the Empire star to pay $130,000 to cover the cost of the investigation. The Illinois city has also sent Smollett a letter demanding the money, but he and his legal team have reportedly already rejected the request.

In fact, his people have demanded an apology from the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago Police Superintendent for the way they have supposedly treated Smollett.

“[The Chicago Police] have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped,” lawyer Patricia Holmes said in a statement.

(Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)

“The case is closed. No public official has the right to violate Mr. Smollett’s due process rights.”

She continued, “We respectfully request all government agencies involved live up to the ethical tenets of their office … The case was dismissed. We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen.”

Sources have revealed the city of Chicago will more than likely file a civil lawsuit in order to get the money.

Not to mention, under the law, they can actually collect more than three times the amount asked for, meaning they could technically get $390,000 from the actor.

Empire

Terrence Howard, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray, Trai Byers and Taraji P. Henson (FOX)

The bad news for Smollett is, if this does end up going to court and he’s forced to pay up, this could be all Empire needs to write him off the show for good.

Empire, Wednesdays, 8/7c, Fox




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  1. B

    BlueSword

    The judge tells this guy the only reason he did this was to get attention and nothing else. Five minutes later this idiot stands up and does his best Martin Luther King imitation, which frankly was not that good, instead of having the good sense to keep his big mouth shut. He's seriously full of himself and horse crap! I was embarrassed for him. It was like watching a stupid kid try to show how well he sings.

    The sad part is he has written a signed, blank check, to racist whites around the world. He spread hatred to get attention. How selfish is that? He wanted more fame and that's what he got! Not how he imagined, but that's the way the mop flops!