Jussie Smollett Suing City of Chicago, Claiming 'Malicious Prosecution' and That They Smeared Him

FILE - In this May 20, 2016 file photo, Jussie Smollett attends the "Empire" FYC Event in Los Angeles. On Wednesday, March 15, 2017, Smollett debuted a music video for "F.U.W.", a song about injustice which he wrote and performs, on his YouTube page. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

FILE – In this May 20, 2016 file photo, Jussie Smollett attends the “Empire” FYC Event in Los Angeles. On Wednesday, March 15, 2017, Smollett debuted a music video for “F.U.W.”, a song about injustice which he wrote and performs, on his YouTube page. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

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It seems we’re not quite done with Jussie Smollett yet.

The city had sued him to collect over $130,000 they spent in investigating his allegations of a racist attack which they concluded he faked.

Now Smollett has filed a counter-claim for malicious prosecution, claiming they have caused him economic harm, humiliation, mental anguish and extreme emotional distress, according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Now that takes some kind of gall.

From Fox News:

In January, Smollett told police he was attacked by two masked men as he was walking home from a Chicago Subway sandwich shop at approximately 2 a.m. The openly gay actor alleged that the masked men beat him, taunted him with homophobic and racial slurs and yelled, “This is MAGA country.”

In February, police determined that Smollett’s masked assailants were brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo, who trained Smollett and worked with him on “Empire.” Authorities also identified the brothers as those on surveillance video purchasing the rope that was reportedly hung around Jussie’s neck during the alleged attack.

Police concluded Smollett had staged the attack and charged him with filing a false report. The charges were later dismissed by State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. That dismissal caused an uproar and is now being investigated.

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But at the time of the dismissal, Smollett let them keep the $10,000 he had put up as bond. He’s now arguing that his payment of that closed the case and prevents the city from getting anything else.

According to the Chicago Sun Times:

Smollett’s counterclaim targets the city, the Chicago Police Department, Detectives Michael Theis and Edward Wodnicki, Supt. Eddie Johnson and Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, along with other unnamed individuals.

Lawyers for the actor claim police sought to have Smollett prosecuted based on the Osundairo brothers’ “false, self-serving, and unreliable statements in order to close the investigation into the attack on Mr. Smollett.”

They say proceedings against Smollett were terminated “in Mr. Smollett’s favor and in a manner which indicates his innocence because all 16 counts of the criminal indictment were dismissed two and a half weeks after the indictment was filed.”

He’s still arguing that he was innocent.

According to the IB Times:

TMZ obtained a copy of the lawsuit, where Smollett states “the Osundairo brothers were held for 47 hours and they adamantly denied any involvement in the assault.” He also reportedly says it was only after they were assured they’d get immunity that they told the story of a staged attack.

“He doesn’t know what involvement, if any, the Osundairo brothers had in the attack. He thinks the brothers were lured into the smear campaign by cops,” the lawsuit also reportedly states.

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And what will his explanation be for the rest of the evidence the police have?

Plus, as far as we know, the FBI case into who sent him threatening mail is still pending.

Very unwise move and an invitation for the police to pull out all the evidence they have to air publicly as part of their defense.

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