Jussie Smollett Witness Sees A White Man Run From The Attack Scene

Torchde Team | December 8, 2021

Former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett denies allegations he faked a brutal attack: “There was no hoax” the actor told jurors on Monday. Smollett took the stand in his own defense after Nigerian brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo told the jury that Smollett paid them to carry out a fake attack. If convicted, Smollett could spend up to three years in prison, although legal experts told The Associated Press that it’s unlikely since he doesn’t have a criminal record and that no one was seriously injured during the alleged hoax. 

In a courtroom with no cameras, the media can freely spread gossip and innuendo, completely ignoring the vital facts. Since Fox News, CNN, and NBC are doing such a horrible job reporting the defense’s arguments, here are 5 answers to questions people have about the Jussie Smollett case.

Didn’t Jussie Smollett Say The Attackers Were White and Wearing MAGA Hats?

This is another false rumor associated with Smollett’s claims, a detail that even Wikipedia gets wrong. According to special prosecutor Dan Webb, Smollett said the attackers were wearing MAGA hats. However, in the police report Smollett never said anything about MAGA hats. Smollett did an interview with ABC News two weeks after the attack adamant that he never mentioned MAGA hats. “I never said that. I didn’t need to add anything like that.” Smollett told host Robin Roberts. 

Police records show that Smollett claimed to only see one attacker, and described “pale skin around the eyes” as to what he could see visible through the mask cutouts. “Security guard Anthony Moore, who was working at the hotel on the night of the incident testified that around the time of the attack, he saw a white man in a ski mask running past him, followed by a second man, who he didn’t get a good look at. He then saw a third person from a distance.” Moore testified that he told Chicago police officers two or three times what he saw, and when questioned by someone from the Special Prosecutor’s Office, he felt pressured “to say something I didn’t see.”

Didn’t Smollett Stage The Attack For Money or Attention?

At the time of the attack, ‘Empire’ was one of the most popular shows on Fox, with cast salaries increasing every season. According to the Chicago police, Empire actor Jussie Smollett staged a fake assault because he was upset about his salary and was searching for fame. Empire producers disputed this theory, telling TMZ that “none of them were approached by Smollett or his team regarding his salary.” On the stand, Smollett testified that he earned $27,000 to $28,000 per episode for 10 episodes in the show’s first season. Before Smollett was fired from the show because of the allegations that he staged an attack, he was earning $100,000 per episode in season 5. The former Empire actor’s salary was also a hot topic on a Forbes article from 2019.

If The Osundairo Brothers Attacked Jussie Smollett – What Would Their Motive Be?

Smollett’s defense team suspects that it may be a combination of homophobia mixed with the desire for profit, but without a full explanation from the Osundairos, one can only look at the evidence and speculate. “You attacked Jussie because you wanted to scare him into hiring you as security,” said lawyer Shay Allen to Abel Osundairo, which he denied. 

The Osundairo siblings denied being homophobic while Abel Osundairo denied having a sexual relationship with Jussie Smollett – a denial that would be contradicted by Smollett’s testimony, assisting the theory that Abel may be homophobic. A lawsuit the Osundairos filed against Smollett’s team may explain why Abel allegedly despises gay people despite allegedly being gay himself. According to the lawsuit the suggestion of a sexual relationship between Abel Osundairo and Jussie Smollett “puts him [Abel Osundairo] and his family in Nigeria in danger, noting that homosexual activity is illegal in Nigeria and is punishable by up to 14 years in prison or death by stoning if the accused is married.” The Osundairos have been spotted at numerous same-sex locations, including Boys Town, the Empire set, and a Gay Pride parade. However, even in this time frame, co-workers on Empire and text messages reveal that during these appearances the brothers conversations displayed extreme homophobic views. 

Before the attack, a threatening letter was sent to Jussie Smollett through Empire studio fan mail. So far the FBI never concluded who had written the letter – only that Smollett was not the writer. The Osundairo brothers claim that Smollett staged the attack because he didn’t think the letter was handled seriously enough. This is another portion of their testimony that was contradicted by producers and cast of the show. Apparently, Smollett wanted people to keep the letter quiet, staff offered to give him more security and Smollett refused this along with Ola Osundairos’ repeated request to provide him security. 

How Did The Brothers Know Where Jussie Smollett Was At 2 AM In The Freezing Cold?

The Osundairo brothers knew Smollett would be in his neighborhood at 2 am because he was in constant communication with them regarding training and nutrition. Phone and text records show that Smollett was texting and calling Abel Osundairo about meal plans, workout regimens, etc. According to Glandian, Smollett was supposed to meet with the brothers to train at 10 PM that night, but his flight was delayed for 4 hours. Ultimately, Smollett canceled the session with the Osundairos and rescheduled it for the morning. The brothers had given Smollett a meal plan to prepare for the morning workout. “He [Abel Osundairo] had given him [Smollett] a nutrition plan and he had to eat 4 eggs or something… he said I don’t think I have any, I’ll run out and get some and he was being picked up by somebody so he made it clear that he was on his way.” defense attorney Tina Glandian told the Today show. The defense also made claims that another collaborator, a white suspect, was also involved in the attack. The CPD hasn’t confirmed if others are involved and the Osundairos never mentioned anything about it. Despite this, a witnesses saw a white man outside Smollett’s apartment around 10 pm, combine that with Moore’s testimony and its clear that the CPD should have followed up on this lead.

Isn’t There Video Footage Of A Dry-Run?

It’s clear that prosecutors showed the jury a video, but the video itself has not been released. Prosecutors told jurors that the video was a rehearsal or dry-run for the alleged fake attack that took place on January 29, 2019. Smollett’s defense claims the video is simply a recording of Smollett and the Osundairo brothers using drugs and driving around, something Smollett did on a regular basis. If both sides can easily interpret the footage in a way that supports their own argument, it’s evident that there is no smoking gun. A better question would be: If the prosecution had footage of a practice session all along, why did they dismiss the charges against Smollett in 2019?