There’s a new documentary about Jussie Smollett on Netflix, and as expected, the disgraced actor is still trying to claim his innocence.
“The Truth About Jussie Smollett??” has two question marks in its title on purpose, and the director says the aim of the project is to cast doubt and let viewers form their own conclusions.
“You can tilt it one way [and] it will look like one thing,” documentary filmmaker Gagan Rehill <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/jussie-smollett-truth-in-new-netflix-documentary-1236348143/">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter of the project. “You can tilt it another and there’s another story behind it.”
“I want … viewers to have a conversation, a debate about that themselves,” he added. “That’s part of the documentary for me — the after conversation, the aftermath of watching it. For that reason, I’m sort of taking myself out of the equation in terms of where I land.”
Smollett told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m., who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an “unknown substance” on him, and yelled that this is “MAGA country.” It was later found that Smollett had hired two Nigerian brothers to help him stage the attack.
The “Empire” star was convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021 and spent just six days in jail after appealing his 150-day sentence. Smollett was charged with 16 counts of lying to police, but those charges were dropped.
In November 2024, Smollett’s conviction was overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court, which also deemed he could not be retried.
Smollett has insisted upon his innocence all along.
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“As an entertainer, as a businessman, I probably should [stop fighting the charges],” Smollett told Entertainment Tonight during a 2024 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-says-he-spent-3m-appealing-hoax-case-maintains-his-original-story?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Jussie+Smollett+Says+He+Spent+%243M+Appealing+Hoax+Case%2C+Maintains+His+Original+Story">interview</a>.
“But as a human being and as a man, as a black man and as an openly gay black man, I have a problem with letting them win on something they shouldn’t be able to,” the actor continued. “I’m a grown man and something happened. I can’t tell exactly what did happen, but I can tell you what did not happen. That’s what I have to sit on. No matter how much people are yelling in my face, saying ‘You’re a liar, you’re a liar.’ No, I’m not. No, I’m not. I don’t want them to believe that, but if that is what they believe, that’s on you.”
Rehill also claimed that the truth is “up to interpretation” and may depend on which news channel you tune into.
“This film is about whether you believe Jussie or not, but it’s also about a reaction to [the news coverage of his case] as well,” Rehill told THR. “It’s just very interesting that people’s trust in mainstream media and in the police has been eroded so much that they have to open the door to alternate truths, or alternate results or verdicts.”
&#8220;Every single other person’s story has changed multiple times. Mine has never,&#8221; Smollett told Variety in a new interview. &#8220;I saw firsthand how narratives are built. I saw firsthand the way that someone can take the exact opposite of who you are and literally sell it.&#8221;
“The Truth About Jussie Smollett??” is currently streaming on Netflix.

Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett Is Still Whining That He’s Innocent In New Netflix Documentary

Documentaries

Entertainment

Netflix

U.S.

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This May Be The Dumbest Hate Crime Hoax Yet

Bubba Wallace

Hoax

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Pennsylvania

Race

White Supremacy

The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the conviction of disgraced actor Jussie Smollett who was found guilty of filing a false police report in 2019 after claiming he was the victim of a hate crime.
The court overturned the ruling because it said he was unjustly prosecuted a second time after he was given a sweetheart deal by George Soros-backed Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx that resolved the matter as part of a negotiated settlement.
“We hold that a second prosecution under these circumstances is a due process violation, and we therefore reverse defendant’s conviction,” Justice Elizabeth M. Rochford wrote in the opinion.
A lawyer for Smollett said in a statement: “We are thankful to the Illinois Supreme Court for restoring order to Illinois’ criminal law jurisprudence.”
In January 2019, Smollett <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-granted-chance-to-appeal-conviction-to-illinois-supreme-court">claimed</a> he was walking alone at night in Chicago during a polar vortex when two supporters of President Donald Trump — allegedly carrying rope and bleach — recognized him from his role on “Empire” and brutally attacked him while yelling racial and homophobic slurs.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/?_gl=1*jtghwp*_gcl_au*ODQ1NjYzNTg2LjE3Mjg5MDk3OTE.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczMDEyMDgwOS40OS4xLjE3MzAxMjA4MzkuMzAuMC4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+</a>
Smollett returned to a friend’s home and called the police, still wearing the noose that he said was placed around his neck by his purported attackers.
It was later reported that Smollett hired two Nigerian brothers he had previously worked with to stage the attack to raise his profile and hopefully get him a raise on “Empire” and further his acting career. The brothers alleged that Smollett paid them to buy plain red hats that he later claimed were “Make American Great Again” (MAGA) hats, signaling the attackers’ support of Trump.
In September 2020, Smollett insisted he was “set up” and continued to claim that he was attacked by two white men wearing MAGA hats. The brothers who said they were paid to stage the attack are black. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-insists-he-was-set-up-says-he-has-two-new-witnesses-to-refuse-hoax-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time that Smollett suddenly started claiming he had two witnesses who could prove he did not fake the attack.
After Chicago police investigated Smollett’s original claims for two weeks, they suspected he had staged the attack. Smollett was charged with 16 counts of lying to police, but those charges were dropped as part of the plea deal he was given by Foxx.
Ashe Schow contributed to this report.

“The Lost Holliday” New York Screening

Illinois Supreme Court Overturns Jussie Smollett’s Conviction

Chicago

Courts

Donald Trump

Fake News

Illinois

MAGA

MAGA Hat

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jussie-smollett">Jussie Smollett</a> said he’s spent $3 million appealing his conviction following a purported <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hate-crime">hate crime</a> attack he was ruled to have staged himself.
“I want to have all of these things in my life, and I don’t want to have a felony on my record for something that I didn’t do,” Smollett said during an interview with <a href="https://youtu.be/OIl0ndQTy3M">Entertainment Tonight</a>. “That’s what we’re fighting for. I know that on the surface it probably seems like why doesn’t he just serve the time, why doesn’t he just let this go. It would be easier if I had in fact done this to say that I did it. I wouldn’t have spent almost $3 million of my own money. I would not have had a trial.”
The actor told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked by two men in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago">Chicago</a> at 2 a.m. who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an “unknown substance” on him, and yelled that this is “MAGA country.” It was later found that Smollett had hired two Nigerian brothers to help him stage the attack. 
The “Empire” star was convicted on five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021 and spent just six days in jail after appealing his 150 day sentence. Smollett was charged with 16 counts of lying to police, but those charges were dropped. 
Smollett has insisted upon his innocence all along. 
“As an entertainer, as a businessman, I probably should [stop fighting the charges],” Smollett told ET.
“But as a human being and as a man, as a black man and as an openly gay black man, I have a problem with letting them win on something they shouldn’t be able to,” the actor continued. “I’m a grown man and something happened. I can’t tell exactly what did happen, but I can tell you what did not happen. That’s what I have to sit on. No matter how much people are yelling in my face, saying ‘You’re a liar, you’re a liar.’ No, I’m not. No, I’m not. I don’t want them to believe that, but if that is what they believe, that’s on you.”
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
He argued that while “fighting the very things that are untrue,” he got tripped up by some truths which he claims were used “to prove things that were not true.”
“So there were those moments where I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, my life is kind of — oh, well, I didn’t do that.’ And they’re like, ‘But you did this.’ And I’m like ‘Ah, I did do that. I did buy that.’ And there are things like that that I’ve had to talk to my family about, that I’ve had to talk to friends about,” he said. “I’m OK with accepting responsibility for things that I’ve actually done. I’m just not OK with accepting responsibility for things that I did not do.”
Smollett also insists he’s being honest because he claims his story never changed, but he says other stories relating to the incident did. 
“I’ve stood by, not my truth but the truth for the entire time, almost six years,” he said. “I haven’t switched my story up. I haven’t changed anything that I ever said. I stand by every single thing that I’ve ever said. Everyone else in the situation, every single person, has changed their story numerous times,” Smollett told the outlet.

Jussie Smollett Says He Spent $3M Appealing Hoax Case, Maintains His Original Story

Celebrities

Hate Crime

The Illinois Supreme Court will hear Jussie Smollett’s appeal after an appeals court in December upheld his conviction for disorderly conduct.
The conviction stems from Smollett’s 2019 claim that he was the victim of a hate crime – an allegation that proved to be false. The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday released <a href="https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/1ddf8abe-5325-4153-8797-7f4d5b9958d2/March%2027,%202024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a list</a> of cases that it would allow to appeal, and Smollett’s case is included.
In December, a state appeals court upheld Smollett’s conviction in a 2-1 vote, WLS <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/where-is-jussie-smollett-today-empire-supreme-court-now/14578113/?ex_cid=TA_WLS_TW&amp;taid=660457abf4ed320001808e38&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Smollett then took his appeal to the state Supreme Court. A hearing date for the appeal has not been set.
In January 2019, Smollett claimed he was walking alone at night in Chicago during a polar vortex when two supporters of former President Donald Trump — allegedly carrying rope and bleach — recognized him from his role on “Empire” and brutally attacked him while yelling racial and homophobic slurs.
Smollett returned to a friend’s home and called the police, still wearing the noose that he said was placed around his neck by his attackers.
It was later reported that Smollett hired two Nigerian brothers he had previously worked with to stage the attack to raise his profile and hopefully get him a raise on “Empire” and further his acting career. The brothers alleged that Smollett paid them to buy plain red hats that he later claimed were “Make American Great Again” (MAGA) hats, signaling the attackers’ support of Trump.
In September 2020, Smollett insisted he was “set up” and continued to claim that he was attacked by two white men wearing MAGA hats. The brothers who said they were paid to stage the attack are black. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-insists-he-was-set-up-says-he-has-two-new-witnesses-to-refuse-hoax-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at the time that Smollett suddenly started claiming he had two witnesses who could prove he did not fake the attack.
After Chicago police investigated Smollett’s original claims for two weeks, they suspected he had staged the attack. Smollett was charged with 16 counts of lying to police, but those charges were dropped as part of a sweetheart plea deal made with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
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A special prosecutor was assigned to review the deal, and ultimately revived six of the original charges against Smollett, who was convicted of the charges in 2021. He spent just six days in jail after he appealed his 150-day sentence.
In March of last year, the brothers who helped Smollett stage the attack <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/brothers-who-helped-carry-out-staged-attack-on-jussie-smollett-apologize-in-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologized</a> during an appearance on Fox News.
“I just first want to apologize to everyone in the audience, the country, and anyone who might have been affected by this directly. When we were asked to partake in this, we really didn’t foresee the ramifications of what something like this could do to the country,” one of the brothers said. “We allowed our ambition to cloud our judgment.”

Jussie Smollett Granted Chance To Appeal Conviction To Illinois Supreme Court

Crime

2018 Ailey Spirit Gala Benefit

The Skyrocketing Epidemic Of Fake Hate Crimes

LGBTQ

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elliot-page-formerly-ellen-announces-superhero-character-will-come-out-trans-in-upcoming-season-of-netflix-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elliot Page</a> — the actor formerly known as Ellen Page who know identifies as a man — claimed recently to have been threatened by a &#8220;transphobe&#8221; in Los Angeles, but the claim has been met with skepticism online, where Page has been compared to disgraced actor Jussie Smollett.
In a memoir released Tuesday, titled &#8220;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pageboy-Memoir-Elliot-Page/dp/1250878357?tag=nypost-20&amp;asc_refurl=https://nypost.com/2023/06/06/elliot-page-reveals-chilling-transphobic-attack-outside-la-hotel/&amp;asc_source=web" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pageboy</a>,&#8221; the 36-year-old actor alleged that in 2022, when the star was in L.A. (on Sunset and La Cienaga), a man allegedly &#8220;threatened to assault&#8221; the &#8220;Umbrella Academy&#8221; actor, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2023-06-04/for-real-elliot-page-survival-pageboy-umbrella-academy?fbclid=PAAabljJY_1EyODzdtcVyY1yInSjCyaUnCOw6H9VnaHpXRn_3tEZ_fBtSa5w4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles Times</a>.
&#8220;I&#8217;m going to f***ing gay bash you, f*****,&#8221; the columnist wrote, quoting Page&#8217;s book.
Page then ran to a nearby convenience store, where employees ushered the actor inside. &#8220;From the other side of the door, the man allegedly yelled: &#8216;This is why I need a gun!'&#8221; the columnist added, quoting Page.
&#8220;Now when I&#8217;m in Los Angeles, I don&#8217;t feel comfortable like I used to going for walks,&#8221; Page told the Times.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Elliot&quot; Page alleges being on the receiving end of a &quot;transphobic&quot; attack outside of an LA hotel from an &quot;enraged man&quot; throwing around language no one uses in real life. Seems pretty Sussie. Check out the full video now LIVE on YouTube! <a href="https://t.co/RlR6QYgz60">pic.twitter.com/RlR6QYgz60</a>
&mdash; Eric July (@EricDJuly) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricDJuly/status/1666076695898595329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Despite the fact that the &#8220;Juno&#8221; star admitted to having &#8220;resources&#8221; to stay in safe hotels and hire security, the actor said that it &#8220;doesn’t mean it&#8217;s not traumatic. But I have resources that, in every instance that is difficult, protect and can shield me from these things.&#8221;
Social media users reacted to the headlines about the alleged L.A. attack, noting how Left-leaning Hollywood is and comparing it to Smollett&#8217;s race hoax in 2019, calling page &#8220;Ellen Smollett.&#8221;
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smollett</a> told police that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who yelled racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an &#8220;unknown substance&#8221; on him, and yelled that this is &#8220;MAGA country.&#8221; The disgraced actor was later convicted on five felony counts, which included lying to Chicago police.
&#8220;Oh please-Jussie Smollett 2.o,&#8221; one person tweeted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Oh please &#8211; Jussie Smollett 2.0. <a href="https://t.co/gegaSYAHvI">https://t.co/gegaSYAHvI</a>
&mdash; Catturd ™ (@catturd2) <a href="https://twitter.com/catturd2/status/1666071061484503040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Another wrote, &#8220;They were also overheard shouting ‘This is MAGA country!’”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
They were also overheard shouting &quot;This is MAGA country!&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YoWHnNycOX">https://t.co/YoWHnNycOX</a>
&mdash; Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1666079086681235456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While another tweeted, &#8220;Los Angeles is inhospitable to the trans community. Page&#8217;s attackers reportedly said ‘Welcome to Magadonia.’”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Los Angeles is inhospitable to the trans community. Page’s attackers reportedly said “Welcome to Magadonia.” <a href="https://t.co/d2BGQL2Mlk">https://t.co/d2BGQL2Mlk</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1666080277750493190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://twitter.com/ada_lluch/status/1666115061411184640?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One person</a> tweeted that they didn&#8217;t believe Page&#8217;s claims &#8220;that &#8216;he&#8217; was verbally attacked and threatened by a crazed transphobic man in California.&#8221;
&#8220;I do not believe this for the same reason I did not believe Jussie Smollett. Just smells fishy,&#8221; the person added. &#8220;Elliot Page was born female, and this is how an hysterical female acts, not a real man. A real man would have given it right back to the attacker, not run to the press crying.&#8221;
&#8220;A real man doesn&#8217;t need constant affirmation the way trans men do,&#8221; the person continued. &#8220;A real man doesn&#8217;t make things up for attention, because he is the star of his own life. He LEADS, not follows. &#8216;ELLIOT&#8217; Page looks like a boy in &#8216;his&#8217; topless photo, but &#8216;he&#8217; still sounds like the woman &#8216;he&#8217; was born to be.&#8221;
Others were more brief in their sarcasm.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Ellen Smollett <a href="https://t.co/W2DjPVmVTW">https://t.co/W2DjPVmVTW</a>
&mdash; Derek Hunter (@derekahunter) <a href="https://twitter.com/derekahunter/status/1666080948641726464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Did they leave behind a noose and two Nigerian passports? <a href="https://t.co/zL8dyRFmPq">https://t.co/zL8dyRFmPq</a>
&mdash; Chadwick Moore (@Chadwick_Moore) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chadwick_Moore/status/1666080589810655232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elliot-page-lands-time-magazine-cover-talks-of-transgender-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page</a> announced to the world in December 2020 the actor was transgender, about six years after the star came out as a lesbian. In a March 2021 issue of <a href="https://time.com/5947032/elliot-page-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time magazine</a>, Page discussed undergoing transgender surgery.

The 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion – Arrivals

‘Smells Fishy’: Elliot Page Being Compared To Jussie Smollett Over Alleged ‘Transphobic Attack’

Ellen Page

Elliot Page

Transgender

The two Nigerian brothers responsible for helping disgraced actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jussie-smollett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett</a> carry out his fake hate crime attack in 2019 apologized for the stunt during an interview this week.
Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, nicknamed Bola and Ola, made the apology during a Thursday night interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
Smollett, who formerly starred in “Empire,” paid $3,500 to the two brothers to carry out the orchestrated attack. Smollett was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-found-guilty-on-multiple-counts-in-hate-crime-hoax-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> in 2021 on five counts stemming from lies that he told law enforcement officials about the incident. In March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail, but only ended up spending six days behind bars after an appeal.
&#8220;I just first want to apologize to everyone in the audience, the country, and anyone who might have been affected by this directly. When we were asked to partake in this, we really didn&#8217;t foresee the ramifications of what something like this could do to the country,&#8221; Ola Osundairo said. &#8220;We allowed our ambition to cloud our judgment.&#8221;
Smollett claimed that the men who attacked him were white and that they shouted racist and homophobic slurs at him and claimed that Chicago was &#8220;MAGA country.&#8221;
In a Fox News special about the incident, Abimbola told the network: “The police did ask us what Jussie’s motive was, but Jussie did not really tell me a motive.”
“[But] from what he was speaking about, or talking about, I would say what he wanted to accomplish was to increase his star level,” he continued.
“I thought he was a good actor, but I also thought this guy was a fraud,” Abimbola said, referencing Smollett’s attitude in interviews after the incident. “This guy is really just sitting here, lying to these people. Lying through his teeth, and not caring. … I did feel 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.”
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“Insane. That’s when I really saw a different side of Jussie,” he said. “Like, dude, really? This is when I knew that this dude was like a supervillain.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Brothers paid by Jussie Smollett share new details about the hate hoax" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vawbuv9THt8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

US-NEWS-SMOLLETT-3-TB

Brothers Who Helped Carry Out Staged Attack On Jussie Smollett Apologize In Interview

Fox News

Scandals

Sean Hannity

The two Nigerian brothers who say they were paid by actor Jussie Smollett to stage an attack on him in January 2019, engendering an outcry from the political Left including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, are speaking out about the incident and its aftermath for the first time.
Smollett, the former “Empire” star who paid $3,500 to Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, has never admitted that the attack, which he claimed was perpetrated by white supremacists, was a hoax. The brothers said that the attack was a hoax after they were in jail for nearly two days. Smollett was convicted of five felony counts of disorderly conduct in December 2021. In March 2022, he was sentenced to 150 days in county jail but only ended up spending six days behind bars after an appeal.
“The police did ask us what Jussie&#8217;s motive was, but Jussie did not really tell me a motive,” Abimbola told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/brothers-in-jussie-smollett-hoax-break-silence-say-actor-wanted-to-be-poster-child-for-activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Nation</a>. “[But] from what he was speaking about, or talking about, I would say what he wanted to accomplish was to increase his star level.&#8221;
The comments were made in an interview for a new Fox Nation documentary called &#8220;Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax.&#8221;
“He wanted to be the poster child for activism,” Olabinjo said, as Abimbola added, “That’s what I wanted to say. He wanted to be the hero for gay people, for black people,” The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11856587/Brothers-paid-Jussie-Smollett-attack-Chicago-street-break-silence.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=social-twitter_mailonline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported.</a>
“I thought he was a good actor, but I also thought this guy was a fraud,” Abimbola said, referencing Smollett’s attitude in interviews after the incident. “This guy is really just sitting here, lying to these people. Lying through his teeth, and not caring. &#8230; I did feel betrayed by Jussie and what he had done. I didn&#8217;t know what to do — I wasn&#8217;t ready to say anything. Like, I was mute. And I didn&#8217;t want to say anything.”
“Insane. That&#8217;s when I really saw a different side of Jussie,” he said. “Like, dude, really? This is when I knew that this dude was like a supervillain.”
When the interviewer asked the brothers if they were “believable white supremacists,” Abimbola laughed. “One hundred percent! Look at me!” he said.
Abimbola claimed that Smollett would ask him to “help him procure or get weed, and different types of paraphernalia. &#8230; He would ask me to do it because he’s not from Chicago, and he wanted to keep a lower profile. &#8230; He did not want to get the drug dealer’s number – he wanted me to be the middleman and to get the drugs for him.”
At the time, the Smollett hoax was quickly picked up as a talking point by major Democrats, including Biden.
Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1090422326783606784" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>, &#8220;What happened today to<a href="https://twitter.com/JussieSmollett"> @JussieSmollett</a> must never be tolerated in this country. We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie.” Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1090361495119187969?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the incident</a> a “modern-day lynching.”

Collage Maker-14-Mar-2023-08-19-AM-3219

‘Like A Supervillain’: Nigerian Brothers Hired By Jussie Smollett Speak Out For First Time

Nigerian Brothers Hired By Jussie Smollett Speak Out For First Time

Joe Biden

Nigeria

Disgraced former actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jussie-smollett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett</a> is the focus on an upcoming docuseries, titled &#8220;Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax,” which will drop this month on the Fox Nation channel.
The five part series details the events that led up to Smollett’s call to police about being attacked on the streets of Chicago in January 2019 that later turned out to be a hoax, <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/03/fox-nation-jussie-smollett-anatomy-of-a-hoax-docuseries-1235275869/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deadline</a> magazine reported.
The series is being billed as providing exclusive interviews with brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, who have yet to speak to the media about their part in Smollett&#8217;s elaborate plan to perpetrate the hate crime hoax, the outlet noted.
&#8220;Describes the intrigue and drama that caused a celebrity to become despised, shocked Chicago and beyond, and left a path of destroyed reputations and careers,&#8221; a description about the docuseires reads on <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26934427/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IMDb</a>.
&#8220;The Osundairo brothers will provide all the details related to the false crime,&#8221; it added.
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“‘Anatomy of a Hoax&#8217; takes a deep dive into a scam that reverberated through the worlds of entertainment, pop culture and politics,&#8221; John Finley, the streaming platform&#8217;s executive vice president, shared.
&#8220;We&#8217;re excited for viewers to hear the real stories behind this scandal from the Osundairo brothers for the very first time,&#8221; he added.
📱<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
In January 2019, Smollett told police that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an “unknown substance” on him, and yelled that this is “MAGA country,” The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The two men he claimed attacked him were the Osundairo brothers.
The disgraced actor was later convicted on five felony counts, which included lying to Chicago PD. In December 2021, he was sentenced to 150 days in jail, followed by 30 months probation. He was also ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution and $25,000 in fines, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He was released from jail in March 2022, pending appeal.
Throughout the entire ordeal and after, Smollett has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-releases-rap-single-asserting-his-innocence-attacking-critics-after-being-released-from-jail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintained his innocence</a>, going so far as to say that if he &#8220;had done this,&#8221; he&#8217;d &#8220;be a piece of s***,&#8221; as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jussie-smollett-if-i-had-done-this-id-be-a-piece-of-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;Anatomy of A Hoax&#8221; hits Fox Nation on March 13.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-found-guilty-on-multiple-counts-in-hate-crime-hoax-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jussie Smollett Found Guilty On Multiple Counts In Hate Crime Hoax Case</a>

Double-jeopardy claim for Jussie Smollett could hark back to landmark case against mob hit man

Jussie Smollett ‘Anatomy Of A Hoax’ Docuseries To Air In March

Jussie Smollett, on a podcast released on his 40th birthday, still protested that he was not responsible for the infamous hoax in which he claimed he was the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack, insisting, “If I had done this, I&#8217;d be a piece of s***.”
Speaking on the Sway’s SiriusXM podcast, Smollett, who was found guilty of felony disorderly conduct for the incident but later only spent six days in jail pending appeal of his original 150-day sentence, declared there was no doubt he had not created the hoax.
“And I don&#8217;t think that that is — I don’t think that that is, that’s not really questionable,” he stated. “I wanted to say ‘If I had done something like this, it would mean that I stuck my fist in the pain of black Americans in this country for over 400 years.’”
“It would mean that I stuck my fist in the fears of the LGBTQ community all over the world. I am not that motherf*****. Never have been. Don&#8217;t need to be,” he asserted.
“Smollett told police on January 29, 2019, that he was attacked by two men in Chicago at 2 a.m. who he claimed made racist and homophobic slurs, wrapped a rope around his neck, poured an ‘unknown substance’ on him, and yelled that this is ‘MAGA country,’” The Daily Wire <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence/">reported.</a>
“For whatever reason, I genuinely thought that people were gonna be like, ‘There is no way he did some bulls*** like that,’” Smollett continued on the podcast. “Y’all know me. And I’m thinking, people’s history should mean something.”
Smollet then attempted to deflect by saying some claims against him were true, but the claims he had perpetrated the hoax were not:
<blockquote>And it’s very interesting: When someone lies on you, over and over, and you know what is the lie, then you’re forced to acknowledge the truths around the matter as well. And that’s really painful as well, cause it’s easy to just be like, “That’s a bulls*** lie. I didn’t do no f***ing hoax. F*** that.” But then at the same time, then they bring out drug stuff. And you’re, “Whew, I did do that.” And you’re sitting there and you’re like, “But this doesn’t have anything to do with what y’all are saying I did do that I didn’t do.”</blockquote>
“I don’t hold the people to anything that stepped back,” Smollett said of his critics. “I hold the people that went out there and said s***. I hold them to something, And not the people who don’t know me. But the people who do know me? F*** out of here. Y’all know better than that, Y’all know better than that. That&#8217;s some PR bulls***. And you know who you are. And I will not name names and I love everybody, but I don&#8217;t like everybody.”
“I am an actor, a director, a writer, a producer,” Smollett claimed. “If I were to do something, it would not be to look like a victim. It would be to look like, if anything, someone strong.”
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Actor Jussie Smollett Appears Outside Of Court After It Was Announced That All Charges Have Been Dropped Against Him

Jussie Smollett: ‘If I Had Done This, I’d Be A Piece Of S***’

Jussie Smollett protests he did not create racist, anti-gay hoax

Disgraced former &#8220;Empire&#8221; actor Jussie Smollett released a single Friday proclaiming his innocence of faking a hate crime, shortly after being released from jail.
Smollett released the single, titled “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVaIKKNAII4">Thank You, God</a>,&#8221; on several major music streaming services. In the song, Smollett asserts his innocence regarding the faking of a hate crime in 2019, and fires back at critics who &#8220;politicized&#8221; the controversy. The song also features a chorus in which he sings &#8220;thank you, God, for showing me my enemies.&#8221; A clip of the song was released to Smollett&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcGJKv3lvKy/">Instagram</a> account, which is run by his family, according to the account&#8217;s biography line. The caption under the clip said that proceeds from the song would go to support the Rainbow Push Coalition, STB Safety, and the Illinois Innocence Project.
The clip opens with a note from Smollett to fans. &#8220;Channeling these thoughts the best way I know how,&#8221; Smollett wrote. In the clip, Smollett asserts his innocence, and seemingly blames the criminal justice system for ignoring issues of race and homophobia:
<blockquote>It’s like they’re hell-bent on not solving the crime
Taking out the elements of race and trans and homophobia that’s straight taking lives
But turn around and act like I’m the one that killed the strides</blockquote>
He then appears to claim that those who turned his hate crime hoax into a public scandal were looking out for social media attention, and that he wasn&#8217;t &#8220;stupid enough&#8221; to kill his reputation by faking a hate crime:
<blockquote>But I can’t be mad
Take my ego out
Some people searching for fame
Some people chasing that clout
Just remember this
This ain’t that situation
You think I’m stupid enough to kill my reputation?</blockquote>
<blockquote>Just simply to look like a victim like it’s something fun
Y’all better look at someone else, you got the wrong one</blockquote>
Smollett goes on to thank the people who stayed by his side when the controversy broke, and claims that the media narrative is the reason those around him &#8220;felt betrayed”:
<blockquote>Wait, let me rephrase that
Cause the narrative they played
I really &#8220;over-stand&#8221; the reason why y&#8217;all felt betrayed</blockquote>
Smollett also referenced film director <a href="https://pagesix.com/2020/04/09/jussie-smollett-and-lee-daniels-not-on-speaking-terms/">Lee Daniels</a> and CNN anchor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-blasts-smollett-for-lies-stays-silent-on-allegedly-aiding-actor-during-police-investigation">Don Lemon</a>, saying he still had good will toward them, even after both figures distanced themselves from Smollett after his alleged hate crime was outed as a hoax:
<blockquote>They had my own people
Thoughts going off the wall
That&#8217;s why from L.D. to Don I still got love for y&#8217;all
I know we&#8217;ll meet again
Talk like real men
Instead of sharing shade in rooms and up on CNN</blockquote>
Smollett ends the clip, saying that he is “pushing through the clouds,” and that all he ever wanted to was &#8220;make his people proud”:
<blockquote>Thunder&#8217;s mad loud
Still I&#8217;m pushing through the clouds
All I ever wanted to do was make my people proud
Fame is nothing real, it’s how you make them feel
Celebrity is for the birds, I ain’t no man of steel</blockquote>
The full song, nearly 6 minutes long, has fewer than 1,600 plays on YouTube as of publication of this article, and the <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/09/jussie-smollett-releases-new-song-claiming-innocence-weeks-after-leaving-jail/">New York Post</a> notes less than 6,000 plays on Spotify.
Smollett was convicted on five of six counts of disorderly conduct, which included lying to police. He was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-gets-jail-time-probation-ordered-to-pay-fine">sentenced</a> in December to 150 days in jail, followed by 30 months on probation, and ordered to pay $120,000 in restitution and $25,000 in fines. He was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-jussie-smollett-ordered-released-from-jail-after-serving-less-than-week-of-5-month-sentence">released</a> from jail in March, pending appeal.

Jussie Smollett Releases Rap Single Asserting His Innocence, Attacking Critics After Being Released From Jail

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