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KiKi Layne, Billy Porter and others, speaking at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, agree on the need for more information before forming an opinion on the Jussie Smollett case. (February 22)
AP
The two brothers who would have helped the "Empire" star, Jussie Smollett, in Chicago, said they had "immense regret" and that they knew the impact that would have on the real ones. victims of hate crimes.
The statement of Abimbola "Abel" Osundairo and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo was published last Thursday by their lawyer, Chicago lawyer Gloria Schmidt, to CNN and CBS News in Chicago.
"My clients deeply regret having been involved in this situation and they understand the impact it has had on the country's population, in particular minorities and in particular the victims of hate-motivated crimes", the statement said.
Schmidt has not sent any message back from the United States today.
The Osundairo brothers were originally seen as suspects during Smollett's beating early in the morning, and told the police that he had been injured in a downtown Chicago neighborhood on 29 January.
Smollett told the police that his assailants had chanted racist and homophobic slurs and that they had mentioned "MAGA", President Trump's political slogan, Make America Great Again.
The two brothers were arrested on February 15, detained and interrogated for nearly 48 hours. They finally told the police that Smollett had paid them for the organization of the attack. The police released them without charge.
Jussie Smollett on February 21, 2019 in Chicago. (Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / AP)
The Chicago police had always insisted that Smollett was a victim of a crime until he was no longer a victim: On February 20, the police charged him with disorderly conduct with felony for allegedly filing a false police report. He pleaded not guilty.
On February 21, Superintendent of Police Eddie Johnson told reporters that Smollett paid the brothers $ 3,500 ($ 3,500) to make the attack look like a hate crime and "take advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career. " . "
Now, the brothers apologize for their alleged role in the episode. Earlier, on February 18, they also issued a statement in response to misinformation in the media about their views and citizenship.
"We are not racist, we are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump," the brothers told CBS in Chicago. "We were born and raised in Chicago and we are US citizens."
The brothers, bodybuilders and coaches knew Smollett well because Abel Osundairo, 25, was working on "Empire" as a replacement for a character who was Smollett's love interest in the show, according to prosecutors.
The brothers worked with Smollett and one of them was his personal trainer, according to Smollett's lawyers. Prosecutors said that Abel sometimes sold the drug to Smollett.
Ola Osundairo is also an actor, having appeared in "Chicago P.D." and in "The worst nightmare", according to his IMDb page.
Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/03/01/jussie-smollett-update-brothers-regret-roles-alleged-fake-attack/3026886002/
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