CHICAGO – Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was indicted Tuesday in Chicago, according to various news outlets.
The indictment was brought forth by special prosecutor Dan Webb, who was appointed by a Cook County judge to continue looking into allegations that Smollett falsely reported being the victim of a January 2019 hate crime.
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Smollett was previously charged with felony disorderly conduct last year, but all charges were soon dropped by the Cook County State’s Attorney Office -- a move that was highly criticized.
Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal after telling police he had been attacked on a Chicago sidewalk by two men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him.
Those men were later determined by police to be Smollett’s trainer and the trainer’s brother, who both said they were hired by the actor to stage the attack.
Smollett is currently suing the city of Chicago for “malicious prosecution.”
The city, meanwhile, is suing him in an attempt to get him to pay $130,000 in costs to cover the time police spent investigating his claims.