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Former “Empire” star Jussie Smollett will take the stand again on Dec. 7 to testify about the events leading up to his allegedly staged hate crime attack in 2019. The actor maintains his innocence and called the accusations surrounding the alleged hoax “100 percent false,” according to AP news.
During the trial on Dec. 6, Smollet reportedly appeared calm and composed as he told jurors that the incident “was no hoax” and that he truly was a victim of a hate crime in downtown Chicago where he lived at the time.
On Jan. 29, 2019, Smollet filed a police report with the city of Chicago claiming that he was violently attacked by two men who began hurling racial and homophobic slurs while he was walking near his Streeterville apartment in downtown Chicago at 2 a.m en route to eat at Subway. The two men allegedly tied a noose around his neck and shouted “This is MAGA Country” during the heated exchange.
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The suspects, who were later discovered to be brothers named Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo, claimed that Smollett coached them through how to carry out the attack, allegedly giving them $100 to buy the supplies needed and instructing them to place the noose around his neck and yell homophobic slurs. The men claimed that Smollet staged the incident in order to gain publicity and advance his acting career. They were both allegedly paid a fee of $3500 to carry out the assault, but the 39-year-old star claimed that he wrote the check to Abimbola for “training and nutrition advice.” The check will serve as key evidence in the case as the trial wages on.
Smollet revealed that when he returned to his apartment he was still wearing the noose that the suspects tied around his neck. A friend that was staying with him at the time called the police upon the actor revealing the vicious attack, but he said he never would have called authorities. “I am a Black man in America. I do not trust the police,” Smollett said AP News noted. “I am also a well-known figure at that time and I am an openly gay man.” During the investigation, the actor also refused to give his number to the police because he wanted to maintain his privacy.
The case took an unexpected turn after the actor revealed that he had a sexual relationship with one of the brothers stemming from 2017. Smollett testified that he first met Abimbola Osundaira at a club that year. The two later went to a bathhouse where they did drugs and allegedly “made out” and participated in sexual acts, according to Smollett. However, Osundairo testified last week that he and Smollett did not have a sexual relationship.
Smollet has been charged with lying to the police and six counts of felony disorderly conduct that carries “a sentence of up to three years in prison,” according to USA Today. However, experts close to the case say that Smollet would most likely be placed on probation and ordered to perform community service if he is convicted.
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