Jussie Smollett to pay $50,000 to Chicago charity in settlement

The donation brings a legal battle with the city of Chicago to an end, after Smollett allegedly staged a hate crime in 2019.

Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveActor Jussie Smollett to pay $50,000 to Chicago charity1 day agoShareSaveMalu CursinoBBC NewsShareSaveGetty ImagesActor Jussie Smollett has agreed to pay $50,000 (£37,000) to a charity in Chicago, settling a lawsuit the city had filed against him over accusations of lying about a hate crime.

Chicago police had wanted Smollett to pay $130,000 to cover the investigation costs, but on Thursday, Chicago's law department confirmed that the donation will be made instead.

The money will go to Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, an organisation that supports Chicago's underprivileged youth.

In 2019, Smollett said he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack. But in a case that has seen many twists and turns, he was charged with lying to police. The charges were later dropped, and Smollett has always maintained it was not a hoax.

A spokesperson for the law department said: "The City believes this settlement provides a fair, constructive, and conclusive resolution, allowing all the parties to close this six-year-old chapter and move forward".