Empire’s Jussie Smollett Reveals Shocking Claims Of A $2M Shakedown
Empire's Jussie Smollett revealed to the Chicago courtroom today that he was not only a victim of a hate crime attack on the streets of Chicago nearly three years ago but a potential shakedown as well.
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Empire‘s Jussie Smollett revealed to the Chicago courtroom today that he was not only a victim of a hate crime attack on the streets of Chicago nearly three years ago but a potential shakedown as well. The ex-Empire actor dropped a $2 million accusation against Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo. He stated that the brothers sought $1 million each to testify that the assault wasn’t faked, according to Deadline.
However, the Osundairo brothers are the prosecutor’s primary witnesses. They are claiming that the January 2019 attack on Jussie Smollett wasn’t a hate crime against the actor but a set-up by Smollett himself. For those in need of more context, Smollett, who is Black and gay, alleges that he was struck by two men yelling anti-gay and racist remarks. He says then they put a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him. Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo were subsequently arrested and have shared their own shocking details to the police after being held by Chicago Police investigators for two days.
Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo claimed that Jussie Smollett paid them $3,500 to rough him up. Further texts, surveillance footage, a check for $3,500 from Smollett, and the added account of the Osundairo brothers all appear to point towards foul play by Jussie Smollett. The public reports have said that he paid the pair to stage a hate crime attack against him so he could gain publicity and a career boost. However, the actor pleaded not guilty to six counts of disorderly conduct for reportedly making false reports to the police that he was a victim of a hate crime.
Jussie Smollett’s defense, on the other hand, has long argued that the Osundairo brothers have “told-on” Smollett for orchestrating the attack for PR attention as means of evading their own legal issues surrounding guns and drugs found at their apartment. It’s worth mentioning that neither of the brothers has been charged with a crime and that, at one point, Smollett’s attorneys even stated that he paid the brothers for training services and nutritional advice.
This isn’t the first time the supposed shakedown has been mentioned in the Smollett case, either. It came up in previous litigation but was denied on the stand by Abimbola Osundario last week. However, this was the first time Smollett made the accusation directly. According to the actor, the $2 million sum was never paid.
Smollett’s move to mention a multi-million-dollar payoff is a serious accusation, and the Cook Country Judge James Linn pointed out that he was under the impression Jussie Smollet was contacted directly by the Osundairo brothers for the money. Then again, Smollett also stated that the brothers’ legal representatives contacted his legal team for the cash. It’s worth pointing out that Smollett faces half a dozen felony charges stemming from the alleged attack and the aftermath of the spotlight being turned on him in a very negative way. As a result of said charges, the ex-Empire actor could face up to three years in prison if found guilty.
