- Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, the brothers paid by actor Jussie Smollett for a staged heist in 2019, have broken their silence in a new interview
- The two brothers, considered the state’s star witnesses at the time, provided in-depth testimony that helped the jury find the actor who fabricated the incident
- Now, as part of a five-part docuseries chronicling the staged attack on Fox Nation, the brothers are ready to discuss the intricacies of Smollet’s plot
The brothers, who were paid by actor Jussie Smollett to stage a staged assault on him, have broken their silence in a sizzling interview – aired days after the Empire star attempted to clear his name by beating one a year 2021 guilty verdict appealed.
Smollett paid $3,500 to Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo to stage the January 2019 attack on the streets of Chicago in a shameless attempt to elicit public sympathy as a blatant hate crime.
The conspiracy came to light after the brothers, two aspiring actors from Nigeria, confessed after nearly two days in a Chicago jail that the robbery was a scam.
Now, for the first time since the ordeal, they have branded Smollett as a “crazy con man” who paid them to ambush him just so he can be hailed as a “poster child for activism”.
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As part of a five-part docuseries, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo broke their two-year silence over the staged attack, and how they were paid by the actor to have Smollett convicted of lying to police on five counts of improper conduct, as victims of an anti-gay racist attack said he said he was committed by Trump supporters. Police said Smollett cut himself in the cheek to make it appear as if he had sustained injuries in the attack
They announced that they decided to take up Smollett’s bizarre offer to spank him, thinking he would in turn help her career.
Discussing how the actor lied constantly after the scam and tried to play the innocent card, the brothers told Fox Nation: “Insane. I really saw a different side of Jussie there. How, dude, really? That’s when I knew this guy was like a super villain.
The brothers revealed how they met their then-boyfriend Smollett an hour before the staged attack – and how the actor later left them as his web of lies began to unravel.
Both Osundairo brothers said they now felt “betrayed” by the actor, who attempted to pin the blame on them at subsequent court hearings.
The couple labeled the Empire actor a “crazy con man” who “hasn’t come out to tell the truth to this day.”
“I thought he was a good actor, but I also thought this guy was a con artist,” Amibola said of Smollett’s ongoing stance on the incident, which has remained unchanged since his trial in 2021.
“This guy really just sits across from her and lies to these people. Lying through your teeth and not caring,” he said, referring to how Smollett “even shed a tear” during a now-widespread interview with ABC News, in which he denied the attack was a hoax.
Amibola called the actor “insane” for his continued devotion to the ruse and admitted he feels betrayed by Smollett for not accepting his guilt and taking the fall as he and his brother were forced to
“I felt betrayed by Jussie and what he had done. I didn’t know what to do – I wasn’t ready to say anything. Like, I was mute. And I didn’t want to say anything.’
Abimbola, seen in court with his brother in December 2021, says he feels betrayed by Smollett, who he considered “a brother” even after denying the plot. com: “The jig has been running for two years, man” in reference to Smollet’s facade
The two brothers, who were considered star state witnesses at the time, provided in-depth testimony that exposed the conspiracy and led to the actor’s conviction in December 2021.
Smollett, a gay man who claimed his attackers were two MAGA-hat-clad white supremacists, has since vehemently denied the charges, even after serving six days of an agreed-upon 150 sentence in a Chicago jail. The Illinois Court of Appeals last March ordered a stay of his sentence when he was about to appeal his conviction.
The brothers recalled flying to Nigeria after the attack – in part to audition for the Nigerian version of Big Brother – and wondered if they put on a believable performance that Smollett would have approved of.
“We were the ones who did it,” says Ambiola, 31, in a clip, sitting next to his brother.
“We were in character the whole time,” agrees Olabinjo after being asked by one of the interviewers if the duo served as “credible white supremacists” — with the obvious elephant in the room being the statuesque brothers’ skin tone.
The couple quickly appear to exchange a look, before Ambiola feigns surprise as if the inquest had questioned his acting skills, proudly claiming “100 percent”.
The five-part series included interviews with Chicago detectives who were called in to investigate the case and how they secretly determined that the actor’s alleged attackers had been black, despite Smollett’s January 29, 2019 report.
After investigating the incident for just three days, police officers began to get to the bottom of the brothers – and subsequently suspected that Smollett’s hate crime claims were in fact false.
The brother’s detailed testimony, which detailed how Smollett orchestrated the conspiracy and sought her as an accomplice, allowed the jury to reach a guilty verdict in the high-profile case – a verdict the actor appealed last year and allowed him to interrupting his 150 penalty after just six days
Video evidence from more than 55 sources would prove this narrative to be true, exposing the brothers as the clear culprits.
At that point, police officers knew the incident was a hoax from conflicting reports from Smollett – but were then faced with the task of forcing it out of the brothers’ mouths themselves.
Police officers quickly encountered a roadblock after learning the couple was out of the country, but only had to wait a few weeks before they would return.
Olabinjo said: “When we flew back from Nigeria, we were expecting our other $500 check. I felt like I would just get back to business – audition again, keep training and live my great life.
After more than a year, the brothers are ready to open up about the ins and outs of Smollet’s bizarre storyline, as well as their past relationship with the actor, who they once considered a friend
Ambiola, better known by his nickname Bola, says he suspected lawyers might have been on to him and his brother.
“I felt like the police were waiting for me,” the other brother admitted. “That’s how I felt. They release all these little bits of evidence, but they knew it was over. They’re just waiting for us to come back.’
It was Ambiola’s intuition that would prove correct, the brothers revealed, as the pair were pulled aside by a customs officer after offering their passports.
“When I got off the plane, the customs officer checked all the passports and when they got to me, they pulled me aside,” Ambiola recalls.
“Two big cops showed up – I thought damn it’s over. You got me.’
Fox Nation will release the exclusive five-part documentary series, Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax, on March 13th
The siblings were held in a Cook County holding cell for 47 hours before collapsing and professing to be part of Smollett’s strange conspiracy for the first time – which they believe the actor hatched with the ultimate goal of not just being seen as a hero are the LGBTQ community, but also for black people.
“The police asked us about Jussie’s motive, but Jussie didn’t really give me a motive,” Ambiola says of the actor’s aspirations with the unwise strategy.
‘[But] From what he spoke or talked about I would say what he wanted to achieve was to raise his star level. he wanted to be…
His brother then interjected, “He wanted to be the poster child for activism.”
“That’s what I meant to say,” Ambiola replied. “He wanted to be the hero for gays and black people.
The duo went on to describe the extent of their relationship with Smollett and how the trio quickly became friends through a mutual friend and the favors the men exchanged for one another.
“I met him through a friend,” Ambiola, the more talkative of the two brothers, told Interviewers. “My friend said, ‘This guy is cool. He’s like everyone else.”
Smollett raises his fist to protest his innocence as he is escorted to the Leighton Criminal Courthouse jail during his sentencing for assaulting himself in March 2022. At the hearing, he appealed the court’s guilty verdict, a legal maneuver that has yet to be decided
Amibola recalled believing that assessment to be true at the time, and described how the trio frequented bars while Smollett was filming in Chicago, and how the actor-director even helped them land roles in the hit drama series.
He also described how Smollet and his brother regularly smoked marijuana, a substance he had to source regularly for the actor because he wanted to remain “inconspicuous.”
“He seemed genuine and authentic as a person,” Amibola said. “We’d go to nightclubs or a bar and just chill – a couple of times I’d come over to his house and watch TV [Smollet and his brother] would smoke because I didn’t actually smoke.’
Referring to claims by Jussie’s lawyers that the actor was in a sexual relationship with him and that the couple “masturbated in bathhouses,” Amibola joked, “We went to nightclubs, the notorious bathhouses, and that was about it. “
The aspiring actor went on to talk about the dynamic of the trio’s relationship and some of the benefits he’s enjoyed after finding himself in Smollett’s inner circle.
“He was a lead on Empire, which means you could be friends with him, which helped a lot,” Amibola said. “He helped me get a backup role on Empire and when he was directing, he put me in certain positions while I was acting as a backing artist, so that was an asset.”
“On set,” he added of Smollett, “he was very personable — he seemed approachable.”
Jussie Smollett poses for a Cook County prison photo as he begins his sentence March 10, 2022 in Chicago
When asked if he or his brothers had previously been asked to do Smollett a favor, Amibola said that if the actor asked him for anything, he would “help him get weed and different kinds of paraphernalia or to.” obtain”.
“He would ask me to do it because he’s not from Chicago and wanted to keep a lower profile,” Amibola said. “He didn’t want the drug dealer’s number – he wanted me to be the middleman and get the drugs for him.
“Those were the kind of favors he asked me to do, but we didn’t think, ‘Let’s see what we can get from him.’ Because I’m not that type of person.’
He went on to describe what he described as a “real” relationship with the actor, a relationship he didn’t want to spoil with materialistic and career-driven solicitations.
“My relationship with Jussie was very real, so I didn’t think about what he could do for me. And I know for a fact that if I addressed him like that, it would probably go wrong – our relationship.
“So I knew this wasn’t the path I should be taking and I didn’t feel like that anyway.”
The pair then detailed their different reactions when Smollett approached them to stage the crime – with both men ultimately choosing to help their then-boyfriend for different reasons.
“I was willing to do it because if he could do that for him, he could probably help us in our careers,” said Olabinjo, whose decision was more rooted in a desire to accelerate his acting ambitions.
He admitted: “So I was a bit ambitious. I really didn’t think it was going to be something too big that would cause anyone any problems – nobody got hurt or anything – I didn’t see a problem with that.
His brother, meanwhile, said he was more driven by feelings and described how he felt he owed the actor something for constantly spoiling him and his brother with nights on the town and helping him land acting gigs in such a high-profile one to get show.
Smollett was accused of lying to police when he reported he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack in downtown Chicago more than four years ago
“When he first told me about it, I was the only one in the car with him, I didn’t know what to feel,” Amibola said of his initial gut check reaction to Smollett’s cheating.
“I was nervous. I thought, ‘Wait, dammit – if I agree to that, is doing the right thing. What is all this about? Does it have any consequences? I couldn’t really think straight.’
He recalled thinking at the time, “He was a friend, he helped me a lot, he got me roles on Empire, he buys things when we go out, which is drinks and stuff – so I felt indebted to him.” .”
Within days, the couple decided to take part in the actor’s conspiracy on the condition that they were paid a total of $3,500.
After staging the attack — as police and other observers began to question Smollett’s account of what happened — the brothers said they were amazed by the actor’s undying dedication to the story.
“It was a crazy scene that Jussie directed,” Amibola said, citing several seemingly emotional statements the actor made to the public about the incident amid early instances of backlash.
He even said, ‘I wouldn’t be my mother’s son if I did what you said.’ I guess you’re not your mother’s son then, mate.’
The brothers laughed at the joke but turned serious almost immediately as they offered a grim analysis of their former friend’s character.
“This guy is a super liar,” Amibola said, showing his disbelief that someone he once looked at benevolently could offer such a brazen lie with a plain face. “To say something like that and even to implicate your mother in something like that. show no remorse. It’s crazy.’
The Osundairo brothers, on the other hand, got away with the incident with just two years’ probation and a small fine after cooperating with police and debunking the ruse. Fox Nation’s new series features exclusive interviews with both brothers, as well as several other key figures involved in uncovering the scam
The relationship between the brothers and Jussie was central to the actor’s trial, which concluded that Smollett had in fact hired the brothers to carry out the crime. He was sentenced to 150 days in prison last year.
The Osundairo brothers, on the other hand, got away with the incident with just two years’ probation and a small fine after cooperating with police and debunking the ruse.
Fox Nation’s new series features exclusive interviews with both brothers, as well as several other key figures involved in uncovering the scam.
They have never spoken to the media about their role in the scam until now.
SCHEDULE OF JUSSIE SMOLLETT HOAX ATTACK SCANDAL
January 22, 2019
Smollett receives a racist and homophobic threatening letter at the Chicago studio where Empire is being shot. Police later say they believe Smollett sent the letter himself.
The brothers said Smollett also sent that letter himself to Fox studios, where Empire is being filmed a week before the attack. If so, he faces an additional 5 to 10 years in prison for mail fraud. Police say Smollett cut himself in the cheek to make it look like he sustained injuries in the attack. He is shown in a hospital bed selfie by FaceTiming Lee Daniels, the show’s creator, hours after the attack
January 29, 2019
Jussie Smollett tells police he was attacked by two men at 2 a.m. in downtown Chicago
The actor says the men used racial and homophobic slurs, tied a rope around his neck and doused him with an “unknown substance”.
Police say Smollett, who is black and gay, told detectives the attackers also shouted that he was in “MAGA country.”
January 30, 2019
Chicago police say they reviewed hundreds of hours of surveillance camera footage, including of Smollett walking downtown, but none shows the attack.
Police receive and release images of two people they wish to question, calling them “persons of interest”.
February 1, 2019
Smollett issued a statement saying he is fine, working with authorities and has been “100 percent factual and consistent at all levels.”
February 2, 2019
Smollett opens a concert in West Hollywood, California with an emotional speech in which he says he has to play the show because he can’t let his attackers win
Police released this image of “persons of interest” taken near the reported attack
February 13, 2019
Chicago police pick up two Nigerian brothers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after police learned at least one worked on Empire
The police questioned her and searched her home
Jussie Smollett on Good Morning America on February 14, 2019
February 20, 2019
Smollett is charged
February 21, 2019
Chicago police say Smollett is facing a disorderly conduct charge, which carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.
Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson says Smollett staged the attack because he was unhappy with his salary and wanted publicity. Investigators say they have a check for $3,500 that Smollett used to pay the two brothers to help him.
Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson ripped through Smollett at a news conference Thursday, where he called him “disgraceful” and “despicable.”
February 22, 2019
Jussie Smollett is seen in his February 2019 mugshot
Empire producers say Smollett’s character will be removed from the final two episodes of the season.
March 7, 2019
A Cook County grand jury is returning a 16-count indictment accusing Smollett of falsely reporting a felony
March 26, 2019
Smollett’s lawyers say the charge that he lied to police has been dropped.
March 28, 2019
A city official said Chicago is asking Smollett $130,000 to cover costs of investigating his reported beating, which police say was staged.
Smollett’s attorney, Tina Glandian, claims on TV that the attackers may have worn “white faces,” prompting him to describe them as fair-skinned
April 11, 2019
The city of Chicago is filing a lawsuit to recover investigation costs.
Tina Glandian, one of Jussie Smollett’s attorneys, Abel Osundairo, is shown in a 2016 video disguising herself as Joker Cook County Prosecutor Kim Foxx pulling out of the Smollett case
April 23, 2019
The brothers, who said they helped Smollett stage the attack, are filing a defamation lawsuit against the actor’s attorneys.
August 23, 2019
Judge appoints former US Attorney Dan Webb as special prosecutor to investigate why charges against Smollett were dropped.
February 11, 2020
According to Webb, the grand jury returned the six-count indictment against Smollett, accusing him of lying to the police.
February 24, 2020
Smollett has pleaded not guilty to the reinstatement of charges.
October 15, 2021
Judge James Linn is denying a last-ditch attempt to drop the criminal case against Smollett and is setting his trial for November 29.
November 29, 2021: Jury selection begins