Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo reveal truth about how Jussie Smollett staged homophobic attack against himself
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo have alleged that on the morning they were supposed to assist Jussie Smollett in staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019, he was not punctual. The Osundairo brothers returned to the upscale Chicago neighborhood for the first time since that frigid January morning in 2019 for the five-part docuseries 'Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax,' which streams on FOX Nation.
In their initial extensive interview since testifying at Smollett's trial in 2021, the brothers provided exclusive insights into their alleged roles in the made-for-TV drama that made international headlines for years. "As we cross the street, we said, 'Hey,' to get his attention. 'Hey, n – -.' He turned around, looked at us, and that's when we started yelling the famous slurs he wanted us to yell. 'Hey, aren't you that 'Empire' f – – t?' " the Osundairo brothers stated in the docuseries, which streams on FOX Nation.
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What did the brothers reveal in the interview?
"We started tussling, moving around, and then I pull him to the ground," Abimbola explained about the staged attack on Smollett. "He wanted it to look like he fought back. That was very important for him because he said, 'Hey, don't just beat my ass. Make it look like I'm fighting back and whatnot.'" Abimbola claims that Smollett did not provide a specific motive but desired to be the 'poster boy for activism.' The brothers further alleged that Smollett guided them through the plans and accompanied them to the location beforehand. They claim they have not been paid the $500 they were promised for effectively executing their mission to gain media attention for Smollett on that chilly morning in 2019. They did receive a $3,500 check but allege they are still owed the remaining amount.
A timeline of the Jussie Smollett case
In January 2019, actor Jussie Smollett reported that he had been attacked in Chicago by two men who yelled slurs at him, poured a chemical substance on him, and hung a noose around his neck. Many celebrities, including Viola Davis and Naomi Campbell, expressed their support for him. However, Smollett refused to hand over his phone to the police, and instead gave them a redacted PDF file of his phone records. Two individuals of interest, Obabinjo (Ola) and Abimbola (Abel) Osundairo were arrested and interviewed by police but not charged.
As the investigation continued, police charged Smollett with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report. They alleged that he had staged the attack because he was dissatisfied with his salary and had sent a racist letter to himself at a Fox studio. Fox Entertainment and 20th Century Fox issued a statement about the incident, and the TV show's executive producers announced that Smollett would not appear in the final two episodes of the latest series. Smollett pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of disorderly conduct. In a surprise development, all charges against Smollett were dropped after he forfeited a $10,000 bond payment and carried out community service. Smollett was later charged with six counts of lying to the police, found guilty of five of them, and sentenced to 150 days in jail, a $145,000 fine, and 30 months of probation. He served six days in Cook County Jail before being released pending appeal. Smollett's latest appeal, filed this month, claims his double jeopardy rights were violated because the initial charges against him were dropped, and argues the trial judge was biased.