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Jussie Smollett’s Staged Hate Crime ‘Dry Run’ was Caught on Video
In Chicago, Jussie Smollett’s trial is underway, and it seems that it’s not going in his favor.
Opening arguments took place on Monday, in which special prosecutor Dan Webb said that the actor has planned the entire alleged hate crime debacle. Webb added that Smollett even went as far as performing a “dry run” of the incident before it was actually carried out. Additionally, the said practice session has been recorded on a surveillance tribute, according to a report by the Chicago Tribune.
The former “Empire” actor made the headlines nationwide back in 2019 following a claim that he’s a victim of an attack that was motivated by racism and homophobia. He claimed that it was done by two Nigerian men who supported former President Donald Trump.
However, after a probe into the incident, authorities have determined that Smollett staged the incident in the hopes of boosting his acting career. The actor is currently being tried in court on six counts of disorderly conduct.
On Monday, prosecutors argued during the trial that the video and backing testimony from the two Nigerian men, who are brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, serve as critical evidence that proves their case against the defendant.
Additionally, per a report by The Chicago Sun-Times, text messages between the actor and the Osundairo brothers, which was sent following the incident, further implicate Smollett for the crime.
Per the report, Chicago detective Michael Theis testified during the trial that the actor sent texts to the brothers after they were arrested. Smollett allegedly told Abombola that he has the actor’s support. The defendant also told him to call after they were released.
“'I know 1000%. You and your brother did nothing wrong… I am making this statement so everyone else knows … Please hit me when they let you go. I am behind you fully,' Smollett texted,” Theis said.
As a response to the prosecution, the actor’s defense team still claimed that Smollett was innocent and that he was the victim of a true crime.
“From the very first moment, Jussie's truth, what he said happened, has remained constant, it has remained consistent, it has not changed. There has not been a Part 1, there has not been a Part 2 … because it's the truth,” the actor’s defense attorney Nenye Uche said.
Uche also mentioned that the Osundairo brothers were “sophisticated, highly intelligent criminals.”
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