City of Chicago Sues Jussie Smollett for Investigative Costs

City of Chicago Sues Jussie Smollett for Investigative Costs
Actor Jussie Smollett smiles and waves to supporters before leaving Cook County Court after his charges were dropped in Chicago. A deadline is looming for Smollett to pay over $130,000 to Chicago to cover part of the costs of an investigation into his report of a racist, anti-gay attack or risk getting slapped with a civil lawsuit. Paul Beaty/File/AP Photo
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CHICAGO—Chicago filed a lawsuit against Jussie Smollett on April 11 in a bid to recoup the cost of investigating a racist, anti-gay attack that authorities said was orchestrated by the “Empire” actor as a publicity stunt, with the city saying—at minimum—that it now wants triple the amount it initially asked Smollett to pay.

The 12-page civil lawsuit, filed in Cook County court, is the latest volley in a legal battle that shows no signs of abating since Smollett reported that masked men beat him up on Jan. 29 in Chicago, shouting slurs and wrapping a rope around his neck.