Jussie Smollett is suing the city of Chicago for malicious prosecution following the aftermath of his alleged hate crime hoax.
The lawsuit was filed as a response to Chicago's lawsuit in federal court, who is suing Smollett for $130,000 for the overtime worked on the alleged hoax, which they say the Empire star facilitated. He is asking for the $10,000 in fines he paid out.
The counterclaim alleges that Smollett was the victim of a malicious prosecution that caused humiliation and extreme distress.
His lawyers claim the police wanted the actor prosecuted based on the Osundairo brothers' "false, self-serving, and unreliable statements in order to close the investigation into the attack on Mr. Smollett."
Earlier this year, Smollett was charged with 16 felony counts related to making a false police report, but the Cook County state's attorney's office abruptly dropped all charges weeks later. In June, a Chicago judge ordered the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the controversial decision.
