Who is Jussie Smollett's partner? Rumors star dated Abel Osundairo were never proved
Actor Jussie Smollett is facing trial for disorderly conduct charges on November 29, 2021, after he allegedly 'staged' a racist, homophobic attack three years ago. Back in 2019, Smollett, a Black and openly gay actor, told Chicago police that he was the victim of a hate crime. However, it was later alleged that the 'Empire' actor had faked the entire episode and colluded with two Nigerian brothers to stage the attack.
The actor is facing six felony counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report in January 2019, in a bid to get himself a higher salary on the set of the hit Fox drama. If convicted on the Class 4 felony charges, Smollett could face up to three years in jail. Smollett came out as gay in 2015 and has been linked with a number of partners since then.
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In the show 'Empire', Smollett essayed the role of Jamal Lyon, a gay musician who struggles to gain his father's approval on his sexuality. The role was highly acclaimed and the storyline resonated with many homosexual viewers. His character Jamal later got married on the show, marking TV's first Black, gay wedding.
In his real life, Smollett came out as gay on an episode of 'The Ellen Show' in 2015. Prior to that, he had dated women, and even went out with fellow actress Raven Symone for four years. He later spoke about his sexuality, saying, "If I had to label myself, I would label myself as a gay man. With that said, I believe that love is the only thing that matters, and I would hope that anybody would leave themselves open — not to gender, but to love."
In 2019, he revealed that he was happily in a relationship but did not reveal the identity of his partner. However, an insider source later claimed that Smollett was in a sexual relationship with Abel Osundairo, one of the Nigerian brothers whom he 'hired' to stage an attack on him. It was also claimed that the duo visited a bathhouse in Chicago together on multiple occasions.
"They used to party together and he [Smollet] had a sexual relationship with [Osundairo]. They went to this affluent Chicago bathhouse multiple times and they had to show ID. It's known as a bathhouse where a lot of affluent black gay men hang out," the source stated.