page_title: Jussie Smollett alleged assault
hierarchical_section_title: Jussie Smollett alleged assault
caption_attribution_description: English: Jussie Smollett in 2018
context_page_description: On January 29, 2019, American actor Jussie Smollett went to Chicago police and alleged he was assaulted during the early morning hours at the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street in Chicago's Streeterville by two people he described as white men, wearing MAGA hats. He claimed they shouted racial and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown chemical substance, possibly bleach, on him and tied a noose around his neck.
  On February 13, 2019, Chicago police raided the home of two Nigerian-American brothers who had worked with Smollett as extras on the set of his television show. Police recovered records indicating the brothers were paid $3,500 by Smollett and had purchased the rope found around Smollett's neck at a hardware store in Ravenswood over the weekend of January 25. They were also seen in security camera footage in a clothing store where they bought gloves, ski masks, and a red hat that police said was used in the attack. On February 20, 2019, Smollett was indicted for disorderly conduct for allegedly paying the brothers to stage a fake hate crime assault on him and filing a false police report.
context_section_description: On January 29, 2019, American actor Jussie Smollett went to Chicago police and alleged he was assaulted during the early morning hours at the 300 block of East Lower North Water Street in Chicago's Streeterville by two people he described as white men, wearing MAGA hats. He claimed they shouted racial and homophobic slurs, poured an unknown chemical substance, possibly bleach, on him and tied a noose around his neck.
  On February 13, 2019, Chicago police raided the home of two Nigerian-American brothers who had worked with Smollett as extras on the set of his television show.  Police recovered records indicating the brothers were paid $3,500 by Smollett and had purchased the rope found around Smollett's neck at a hardware store in Ravenswood over the weekend of January 25.  They were also seen in security camera footage in a clothing store where they bought gloves, ski masks, and a red hat that police said was used in the attack.  On February 20, 2019, Smollett was indicted for disorderly conduct for allegedly paying the brothers to stage a fake hate crime assault on him and filing a false police report. Smollett's defense team reached a deal with prosecutors on March 26, 2019, in which all charges were dropped in return for Smollett performing community service and forfeiting his $10,000 bond.
  On April 12, 2019, the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County against Smollett for the cost of overtime authorities expended investigating the alleged attack, totalling $130,105.15.  In November 2019, Smollett filed a counter-suit against the city of Chicago alleging he was the victim of "mass public ridicule and harm" and arguing he should not be made to reimburse the city for the cost of the investigation.
  On February 11, 2020, after further investigation by a special prosecutor was completed, Smollett was indicted again by a Cook County grand jury on six counts pertaining to making four false police reports.
  On June 12, 2020, a Judge struck down Smollett's claim that his February charge violated his right against double jeopardy.
caption: Jussie Smollett, 2018
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