The New York Post reports that new video evidence has been presented in the Jussie Smollett (Empire, Alien: Covenant) trial that shows security camera footage of the now infamous actor doing a “dry run” one day before his alleged and controversial hate attack. In January 2019, Smollett was beaten in downtown Chicago by two men in an apparent hate crime. Smollett claims the two men yelled homophobic and racial slurs at him, tied a noose around his neck, and even poured bleach onto him. However, speculation as to whether or not this was an actual attack or a staged attack by Smollett has arisen since then.
According to the New York Post, his alleged attackers, Abimbola Osundairo and his brother, are seen in the footage walking with Smollett by the scene. They then took a cab and then an Uber together to meet up with Smollett, according to special prosecutor Dan Webb during the trial.
Osundairo testified today and said that Smollett paid him and his brother $3,500 to stage the whole attack to boost Smollett’s career through publicity and media coverage. Neither Abimbola nor his brother has been charged with a crime.
“We went over the details of what he wanted us to say and do,” Osundairo said in court according to CNN. “He wants me to attack him, but he wanted me to pull the punch, so I don’t hurt him, give him a bruise.”
Authorities corroborated the brothers’ story with texts between them and Smollett. Smollett still pleads not guilty, claiming the money paid to the brothers was for training services and nutritional advice, and his defense attorney Nenye Uche told jurors that what transpired was a “real crime” and still defended the story that the Osundairo brothers attacked him because they “did not like him as a person.”
Smollett faces six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making false reports to police that he was the victim of a hate crime, and this trial and controversy led to his firing from the show Empire. Uche expects to have Osundairo for three to four hours for cross-examination when the trial resumes today. Judge James Linn told jurors to expect the trial to last till Monday.