The city of Chicago is suing Empire actor Jussie Smollett as it seeks to recoup the cost of police overtime spent investigating his alleged hate crime.
Smollett is accused of staging the January 29 assault in which he claimed to have been beaten by two men who shouted racist and homophobic epithets and put a noose around his neck.
Smollett was indicted for filing false statements, but the criminal charges were dropped on March 26.
The Empire actor continues to maintain his innocence and refused the city's demand to pay the police overtime costs.
US actor Jussie Smollett. Source: AAP
The Chicago Police Department calculates that 1836 hours of overtime were expended in the search for Smollett's attackers, costing taxpayers $US130,106 ($A182,000).
Under a city ordinance, the city is entitled to recoup three times its total damages, or about $US390,000.
The city will also seek unspecified lawyers' fees and costs.
The civil complaint was filed on Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court.
Last week, Smollett's lawyer, Mark Geragos, accused the city of trying to harass and intimidate his client.
Geragos argued that it was unprecedented for the city to seek to file a suit for false statements after the state's attorney's office dropped criminal charges, and that doing so would violate Smollett's rights not to be subjected to "double jeopardy."
