Mum’s the word for Jussie Smollett.
The embattled actor stepped out publicly on Friday in Los Angeles, with paparazzi cameras catching him leaving an office building in the San Fernando Valley area of Woodland Hills yesterday afternoon. No word on what he was doing there — but that wasn’t the big story, of course.
Related: Will Jussie Get His Own Mueller Report?!
Paps peppered Smollett with talk about the lawsuit the City of Chicago is intending to file against him — $130,000 to cover the cost of investigating what they now allege was a hoax attack. But while things have gone to hell in a handbasket in the Windy City over the entire Smollett affair, it appears the Empire star is far more calm right now in El Lay — at least, on the surface.
As you can see from the video HERE, Smollett is a man of few words when asked about his reaction to the lawsuit and what he plans to do about it from here. That’s probably a wise move for him right now, one his celeb attorney Mark Geragos would have most likely recommended strongly at the outset of their partnership.
Jussie appears to stay silent and strong even in the thick of a controversy that shows no signs of dying down any time soon…
Related: Wait, Isn’t Geragos In Trouble For Something, Too??
The lawsuit does bring up an interesting conundrum, though: Smollett would almost certainly have to see his way through the entire process without settling at all, right?! His camp has been VERY vocal about his innocence in the hoax accusations, so it’d seem like settling with the city for even a small amount of money to cover investigation pay would be… sketchy. Right?!
But at the same time, the standard of proof in a civil lawsuit like this one (‘more likely than not’) is much lower than the standard required in criminal trials (‘beyond a reasonable doubt’) and do that end, it’s certainly a risk that if Smollett goes to trial against the Windy City, a judge could well proclaim that it’s “more likely than not” that the actor staged his own attack.
And that would be devastating for his career…
Regardless, there are still going to be quite a few twists and turns here before this story runs its course — both in the legal system, and through the media and the court of public opinion.
Where do y’all fall on Smollett’s potential civil battle with the city of Chicago, y’all??
Sound OFF with all your reactions in the comments (below)…
[Image via WENN]
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