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The Jussie Smollett"alleged" attack saga has gotten messier than ever. The latest inside.
Just two weeks after Jussie Smollett took the stage in Hollywood days after his (now alleged) attack in Chicago, police and the public are doubting if the attack is even real due to new evidence.
While there were early mumblings that Jussie's story - him claiming he was attacked by two MAGA-shouting men after 2AM on the freezing streets of Chicago - didn't add up, police confirm new evidence has shifted the case. And they want to talk to Jussie again - stat!
Less than a day after two Nigerian brothers were arrested as suspects in the case, they were released. Minimal info has been released officially about why, but that quick of a release does NOT bode well for Jussie.
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The Blast confirmedOlabinjo “Ola” Osundairo and Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo were taken in as suspects after they arrived back in Chicago from a recent trip (they left the day of the attack) to Nigeria. At least one of them was confirmed to have acted recently on "Empire," and is also Jussie's trainer.
So why, then, did Jussie tell Robin Roberts on "GMA" that he feels the arrested suspects could be his attackers? Did he not know who they were identified to be? The police said they had their ways of knowing the two brothers were very likely the men on the surveillance video, but it still has not been confirmed the men on the video has anything to do with the attack, though it's heavily suspected.
So, wouldn't Jussie have recognized their voices, statures, something about them, if they were in fact the attackers?
We've also learned that the brothers each filed for bankruptcy in Chicago back in September 2016. The Blast reports:
As for what they owed, each brother listed thousands of dollars owed in student loans, as well as other liabilities, and both claimed to earn minimal income.
Abel claimed he had $72,771 in liabilities, including $39,000 in student loans. The bodybuilder stated he only made $142 per month from “odd jobs,” which left him over $300 in the hole each month.
Ola claimed his debt had soared to $161,481, including $85,000 in student loans. Ola, who is an aspiring rapper and appeared on “Empire,” listed his income at $160 per month.
Both brothers listed a party and decoration store, It’s Party Time, as a shared asset, but claimed the business was operating at a loss. The party store, located on Archer Ave in Chicago, is now reportedly closed.
These are important facts, as now, there are reports, including one from CNN, that claim two law enforcement sources believe Smollett paid the Nigerian men to orchestrate the attack.
Chile...
The brothers' attorney isn't giving major details, other than saying her clients' story will be told soon. But we've also learned thanks to reports, that during a search of their apartment, cops found bleach that they believe may have been used during the attack with Smollett. There's also supposedly a receipt showing the rope that was bought yesterday to create the noose Jussie claimed was placed around his neck.
While there's still questions left unanswered, things aren't looking great for Jussie. He could very well be telling the complete truth and it's his word vs. the brothers'. It could all be a misunderstanding by us, the public, of what Jussie is saying happened. Could he have been set up? Who knows.
The brothers' lawyer, Gloria Schmidt, says her clients indeed have new evidence that shifts the case.
Because of all the recent fall out, Jussie has hired a criminal defense attorney, Michael Monico, who also represents Donald Trump’s former attorney, Michael Cohen.
Interesting...
Through his lawyer, the "Empire" star denies ANY suggestions that he orchestrated this attack:
Jussie’s legal team released a statement, lashing out at the reports he paid the Usondairo brothers. “As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with,” the statement began.
Smollett’s attorneys said, “He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying.”
“One of these purported suspects was Jussie’s personal trainer who he hired to ready him physically for a music video,” the statement continued, adding, “It is impossible to believe that this person could have played a role in the crime against Jussie or would falsely claim Jussie’s complicity.” to
Just messy. No one knows WHY Jussie would orchestrate an attack on himself if he did. But Chicago PD is trying to get to the bottom of it.
According to reporter Rafer Weigel, detectives have reached back out to Smollett’s attorney after releasing the Osundairo brothers from custody and expressed an interested in speaking with the star again. He is not officially a suspect a this time, but do confirm that their "investigation has shifted" after new evidence was revealed by the brothers.
CBS claims Jussie and the brothers rehearsed the attack, and that Jussie paid them $3500. Again, Chicago PD is not confirming or denying any such details. Yet.
Photos: Getty/Instagram
