Jussie Smollett ordered to pay $130,000 to cover police costs over alleged attack

The US actor, star of hit TV series Empire, was cleared earlier this week on charges of falsely reporting the attack in Chicago. In January the actor, who is gay, told police he had been beaten and had racist and homophobic abuse shouted at him. Mr Smollett told police he had a chemical substance poured on him and a rope looped around his neck before the attackers fled.

But investigating police later accused the openly gay actor of organising the attack as he was upset with his salary.

Mr Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct filing a false police report after he turned himself in and was arrested.

The actor, who has maintained his innocence throughout, was cleared of the charges on Tuesday, but he has now been ordered to pay the huge amount to cover the costs of price officers, including overtime hours used on the case.

CBS journalist Charlie De Mar shared a letter from the City of Chicago to Mr Smollett on his Twitter page, demanding he pay $130,106.15 in the next seven days.

In the letter, the police continued to accuse the actor of faking the attack on himself.

It states: “As part of the investigation, Chicago police reviewed video and physical evidence and conducted several interviews, expending resources that could have been used for other investigations

“Ultimately, the Chicago police investigation revealed that you knowingly filed a false police report and had in fact orchestrated your own attack.”

Mr De Mar also shared a statement he says is from Mr Smollett’s legal team, which says the Mayor of Chicago and the city’s police owe him an apology.

It said: “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.

“Jussie has paid enough.”

Mr Smolett, who insists the attack happened, agreed to forfeit $10,000 bail and complete community service in exchange for the dropped charges.

Two days after this development, US President Donald Trump weighed into the matter on Twitter.

He said the FBI and Department of Justice would review “the outrageous Jussie Smollett case in Chicago”, describing it as “an embarrassment to our nation”.

Following the dismissal of the charges, the actor told a news conference: “I have been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one.

“I would not be my mother’s son if I was capable of one drop of what I have been accused of

“This has been an incredibly difficult time and one of the worst of my entire life.

“But I am a man of faith and a man that has knowledge of my history and I would not bring my family, our lives or the movement through a fire like this.”

source: express.co.uk