Jussie Smollett to pay $ 50,000 to Chicago Charity in Settlement

Actor Jussie Smollett has agreed to pay $ 50,000 (£ 37,000) to a charity in Chicago, arranging a lawsuit that the city had filed against him for accusations of lying about a hate crime.

The Chicago police had wanted Smollett to pay $ 130,000 to cover the research costs, but on Thursday the legal department of Chicago confirmed that the donation will be made instead.

The money goes to building a clearer Futures Center for the Arts, an organization that supports the disadvantaged youngsters of Chicago.

In 2019, Smollett said that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. But in a case that has seen many turns, he was accused of lying against the police. The costs were withdrawn later and Smollett always maintained that it was not a hoax.

A spokesperson for the legal department said: “The city is of the opinion that this settlement offers a fair, constructive and convincing solution, so that all parties can close this six -year -old chapter and move forward”.

Smollett, who is black and gay, had claimed that two men had beaten him, shouted racial blot, threw a “chemical substance” on him and put a sling around his neck while he walked through the street at his apartment in Chicago.

At the time there was an outpouring of support for the actor, where many celebrities made public statements that condemn the violence and support Smollett.

But a few weeks later he was accused of making the whole thing and accused of lying against the police.

He was accused of sending a racist letter to himself and paying two brothers $ 3,500 to organize the attack.

Smollett was found guilty in 2021, but the conviction was destroyed last year.