Jussie Smollett’s Lawyers Dispute Account That Attack Was Staged - The New York Times

Jussie Smollett’s lawyers suggested in court on Thursday that two brothers at the center of the case attacked the actor to scare him into hiring them as his personal security, and later, to avoid prosecution, falsely told the police that Mr.

The brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, have each testified that Mr.

Smollett gave them detailed instructions on where and how to mildly attack him in January 2019.

“No, sir,” Abimbola Osundairo replied.

During cross-examination, the brothers, both aspiring actors and fitness aficionados, disputed that and other defense contentions about the attack.

Smollett instructed them to yell racist and homophobic slurs at him — and say, “This is MAGA country” — during the attack.

Smollett had knowingly made a false police report about the attack.

Abimbola Osundairo said he had agreed to participate in the hoax because he felt “indebted” to Mr.

Smollett for securing him a role as a stand-in on the show, while Olabinjo Osundairo said that, as an aspiring actor, he had agreed because he wanted to “curry favor” with Mr.

The defense’s efforts to undermine the brothers’ credibility included questions about guns and drugs found in Abimbola Osundairo’s home and accusations that Olabinjo Osundairo had a history of making homophobic comments.

The brothers remained composed during their sessions on the witness stand even as they were being questioned about several written conversations that Olabinjo Osundairo has had in which he made remarks that the defense cited as homophobic.

Smollett, Heather Widell, accused Judge Linn of making “snarling faces” during the defense questioning.

Earlier in the day, Olabinjo Osundairo testified that during the attack on Jan.

In 2019,  Jussie Smollett, an actor from the show “Empire,” told police he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago.

Two brothers, Abimbola Osundairo and Olabinjo Osundairo, told the police that Smollett, who is black and gay, had paid them $3,500 to orchestrate the attack, directing them to shout racist and homophobic epithets at him and place a noose over his neck.

A text message between Smollett and Abimsola Osundairo sent  four days before the attack has become a key piece of evidence.

Smollett’s aide, led to a large investigation by the Chicago Police who homed in on the brothers using surveillance footage from that night.

The brothers were held by the police for about two days and were released after they told investigators that it had been Mr.

Smollett who staged the attack, instructed them on details of when and where to approach him and even orchestrated a “dry run.”.

Webb, suggested how unlikely it would have been for the brothers to have decided to attempt an attack on Mr.

Smollett at the hospital on the night of the attack, was shown photos of the bruising on Mr.