New reports say Jussie Smollett paid Nigerian brothers to stage attack

According to TMZ, the two brothers, Abel and Ola Osundairo told police that they got in a car with Jussie and scouted a location, settling on the one right outside the actor’s apartment. The brothers said Jussie chose the spot because he believed a camera would have captured the action.

The police also report that Jussie Smollett asked the brothers not to attack him to the point where he would be badly bruised.

The brothers also claimed that on the night of the attack, even though they were nervous, they acted accordingly. At some point, a car drove by and they felt someone had spotted them.

Sources allegedly told CNN there are records that show the two brothers purchased the rope found around Smollett’s neck at a hardware store in Chicago.

CBS, quoting other sources, said Jussie was upset after a racist letter sent to Empire’s studio didn’t get a “bigger reaction.”

“When the letter didn’t get enough attention, he concocted the staged attack,” a source told CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards. CBS said Jussie paid the brothers $3,500 for the attack.

CBS’ Charlie De Mar spoke on the phone exclusively with the Osundairo brothers on Monday afternoon. In a joint statement, they say: “We are not racist. We are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens.”

Their attorney, Gloria Schmidt says: “In due course, all the facts will reveal themselves, and at the end of the day, my clients are honest and credible.”

A spokesperson for the Chicago police tells CBS:

“We are not doing any interviews or making any official statements until we can corroborate some information that was shared with police. Until we meet with the Empire cast member, we are not able to confirm, deny or comment on any of the information that was released unofficially.

“When this investigation is over, we will have a detailed accounting of the case. While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include additional investigation and speaking to the individual who reported the incident.”