UPDATE: Chicago Is Suing Jussie Smollett for Cost of Investigation

UPDATE (4/11/2019): Jussie Smollett will soon have his day in civil court after avoiding a criminal trial.

The City of Chicago has filed a civil lawsuit against the Empire actor to recoup the costs of the investigation into the alleged attack he reported in the early hours of January 29 near his Chicago home, the Hollywood Reporter reports.

The lawsuit does not name a specific amount that Smollett will be asked to pay, but it does suggest that the number will be much higher than the $130,000 bill the city sent Smollett a week ago.

At the time, Smollett reacted to news that Chicago might file suit by saying he "will not be intimidated" and that any insinuation that he faked the alleged attack was "false and defamatory."

UPDATE (4/5/2019): Jussie Smollett has responded, via his lawyer Mark Geragos to the City of Chicago's announcement that they would sue him for their $130,000 reimbursement according to TMZ. In a letter, Geragos said that the actor "will not be intimidated." He went on to call the City's insistence that Smollett faked the alleged attack both "false and defamatory."

According to TMZ the attorney also threatened "to mount a constitutional attack if the case goes forward.

ORIGINAL (4/4/2019): After sending Jussie Smollett a bill for the expenses they incurred while investigating his assault claim, the City of Chicago will now sue the actor.

After the 16 charges against him were dropped, Smollett was sent a $130,000 bill by the Chicago police, calling for reimbursement. The bill came with a deadline of Thursday, set by outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

"When [he] does pay the city back on just what the taxpayers have fronted, in that memo section, he can write, 'I'm sorry and I'm accountable for what I've done,'" Emanuel said during a March 28 press conference according to US Magazinewhere he revealed the demands.

But, after a week, the actor made no indication that he would pay more than the $10,000 he already forfeited of his $100,000 bail as terms of his agreement to have the charges dropped. Now, the issue has turned to litigation ... again.

"Mr. Smollett has refused to reimburse the City of Chicago for the cost of police overtimes pent investigation his false report on January 29, 2019," the police said in a statement according to The Advocate. "The Law Department is now drafting a civil complaint that will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County."

This pending filing is not the only loose end with this Smollett's case. Both the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Department of Justice are investigating the charges being dropped. President Trump tweeted that the dropped charges were an embarrassment. Meanwhile, according to Taraji P. Henson, Smollett could be returning to Empire though he was dropped from two episodes as the controversy played out.

"Yes," Henson said on The View when asked would Smollett return to the show. "I haven't heard anything else!"

Though Emanuel is directing his offices to begin the process of litigation, the recently elected Lori Lightfoot could reverse that decision. That is unlikely, given her close history with the Chicago Police.

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