Jussie Smollett had felony charges against him dropped last month, but it appears that he could still have a legal battle on his hands in civil court.
The embattled Empire actor is facing a lawsuit from the city of Chicago over the cost of investigating the alleged attack against Smollett that the city alleges was a hoax.
"The Law Department has filed a civil complaint against Mr. Smollett in the Circuit Court of Cook County that pursues the full measure of damages allowed under the false statements ordinance," the City of Chicago and Chicago Law Department said in a statement released to ET on Thursday.
According to the statement, the civil complaint "follows his refusal to reimburse the city of Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on January 29, 2019."
According to the court documents, the city of Chicago "expended significant resources and manpower, including, but not limited to, $130,106.15 in CPD overtime pay."
The documents request that the court fine Smollett "a civil penalty of $1,000 for each false statement he made to the city" to be proven at trial, and "three times the amount of the damages that the City sustained," as well as legal fees and court costs.
Meanwhile, Smollett seems to be enjoying his free time on vacation in Hawaii with his family. The 36-year-old actor was spotted hanging out on the beach with some friends and loved ones while boogie boarding and enjoying the surf this week.
Charges were dropped against the actor at the end of last month for allegedly filing a false police report in which he claimed he was the victim of a hate crime. Bill McCaffrey, a spokesperson for the city of Chicago’s Department of Law told ET last week that the city intended to go after the star for reimbursement of expenditures.
"The city feels this is a reasonable and legally justifiable amount to collect to help offset the cost of the investigation," McCaffrey told ET.
Smollett has staunchly denied accusations that he orchestrated the attack and has long maintained that he was a victim in the incident. Smollett's defense team also gave a statement to ET last week, stating that the actor is owed an apology, as his charges were dropped.
“It is the mayor and the police chief who owe Jussie -- owe him an apology -- for dragging an innocent man’s character through the mud," the statement read. "Jussie has paid enough."
For more on the ongoing legal battle between the actor and the city of Chicago, watch the video below.
RELATED CONTENT:
