On Oct. 22, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall allowed the city of Chicago’s lawsuit against embattled actor Jussie Smollett that seeks reimbursement for approximately $130,000 in overtime incurred by police to investigate his alleged Jan. 29 hoax attack, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Kendall said that, on its face, Smollett’s claim that the police went overboard in investigating his report was not valid, adding that Chicago police took the allegations seriously in large part because of Smollett’s high profile “and the extreme nature of the accusations.”
Following Kendall’s decision—which puts the case on the road to a trial—Smollett’s attorney said the actor “is eager” to have the complete facts of the case emerge.
Smollett—who is Black and openly gay—claimed he was the victim of a brutal attack near his home in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood this past winter. Smollett was eventually charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly lying to police. However, weeks later, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office abruptly dismissed the 16-count indictment.