It’s been a while since we heard from Jussie Smollett, the ex-Empire actor who claimed that he was attacked in the wee hours of the night in Chicago. The last big break in his story was the release of the audio from the night in question. And while this epic story, after coming on a year, still somehow lacks closure, at least it’s still providing twists and turns. The latest: His attempts to get a lawsuit filed against him by the city of Chicago has come to naught.
As per CNN, city officials has spent months trying to recover more than $130,000, which was how much was spent on the investigation into the actor’s claims. Smollett’s original police report alleged that he’d been the victim of a hate crime by Trump supporters. The perpetrators turned out to be from Nigeria, and it was claimed by police that they’d been hired by Smollett to fake an incident, possibly to further his career. Smollett has always maintained his innocence.
When the city filed a lawsuit against him in April, Smollett refused to pay, having his attorneys file a motion to throw it out, the defense arguing that their client had no idea his police report would result in such a large investigation. On Tuesday US District Judge Virginia Kendall denied the request, ensuring the trial would proceed as planned.
Smollett’s attorneys commented on the decision, saying they are not deterred.
“Mr. Smollett has always maintained his innocence and is eager to have the complete facts of the case come out,” said William J. Quinlan, part of Smollett’s legal team. “He looks forward to taking depositions and otherwise bringing to light many of the facts that have been overlooked in the court of public opinion to date. Mr. Smollett is confident that once the full story is available he will be vindicated.”
(Via CNN)
