Now that charges have been dropped against Jussie Smollett, the 鈥淓mpire鈥� actor鈥檚 attorney is trying to shift attention back on two brothers who told police they were paid by Smollett to help stage a racist, anti-gay attack on him.
Investigators should look into the role of brothers Abimbola 鈥淎bel鈥� Osundairo and Olabinjo 鈥淥la鈥� Osundairo, who are of Nigerian descent, attorney Patricia Brown Holmes said after prosecutors dropped all 16 charges against Smollett on Tuesday.
鈥淭he two men who attacked him have indicated that they attacked him, so we already know who attacked him,鈥� Holmes said.
On Wednesday, another Smollett attorney, Tina Glandian, told 鈥淕ood Morning America鈥� that the two brothers were lying. She said Smollett was a crime victim who 鈥渏ust wants his life back.鈥�
Authorities said they still believe Smollett, who is black and gay, concocted the attack in which he said two masked men beat him on Jan. 29. He also said they yelled, 鈥淭his is MAGA country,鈥� an apparent reference to President Donald Trump鈥檚 campaign slogan, 鈥淢ake America Great Again.鈥�
Smollett also said the men doused him with a chemical and put a noose around his neck. He told a detective that at least one of the attackers was white, according to Chicago police.
Cook County First Assistant State鈥檚 Attorney Joseph Magats told reporters that prosecutors dropped the case because Smollett forfeited a $10,000 bond payment and did community service. Magats also said that prosecutors needed to focus their time on violent crimes in Chicago.
READ MORE:
Authorities have said Smollett created the hoax because he was unhappy with his pay on the Fox show and wanted to promote his career.
The Osundairo brothers told police that Smollett paid them $3,500 to help stage the attack. Smollett said the $3,500 paid to the brothers was for fitness training.
Prosecutors have said Smollett and Abel Osundairo, 25, became friends in 2017 and that Abel Osundairo was a stand-in for a character on 鈥淓mpire.鈥� Court documents said Olabinjo Osundairo, 27, also appeared as an extra in the show.
The two brothers were initially drawn into the investigation after police released grainy images of two 鈥減ersons of interest鈥� in the area the night of the attack. Chicago police detained the brothers in mid-February at O鈥橦are International Airport after the returned from Nigeria, they were questioned and their apartment in Chicago was searched.
Within days, police said the brothers were considered suspects in the attack. But the two men were then abruptly released and not charged with a crime. They testified before a grand jury.
Soon after, Smollett was charged with filing a false police report of the attack. The brothers鈥� attorney, Gloria Schmidt, said then that the brothers did not testify as part of any plea deal with prosecutors and that they were not granted any immunity from prosecution.
Schmidt said in a statement Tuesday: 鈥淭he Osundairo brothers were fully prepared to testify in any criminal proceeding in the Jussie Smollett case.鈥�
In an interview with AP earlier this month , she said the brothers regretted their involvement.
鈥淚t started by them having a relationship with Mr. Smollett. Mr. Smollett being in a position of power over them 鈥� him being this celebrity person who could pull strings for them and help them in their career,鈥� Schmidt said.
鈥淭hey were thinking, 鈥業鈥檓 going to help my friend. He鈥檚 asking for this,鈥欌�� she said.
But Smollett鈥檚 lawyer said the brothers had backed up the actor鈥檚 version of events.
鈥淭he Osundairo brothers said more than once that the $3,500 check they received was for exactly what Jussie said. They were his trainers,鈥� Holmes said.
During her interview Wednesday, Glandian acknowledged that Smollett talked and texted with the brothers in the hours before the attack. She said they discussed training and nutrition as Smollett鈥檚 flight to Chicago was delayed.
But she said Smollett had no idea who attacked him until the brothers were later identified by police.
The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on .
