Thursday, March 28, 2024

Jussie Smollet UPdate: Two Nigerian Brothers ARRESTED in Alleged Attack of Actor

UPDATE: Nigerian brothers released. Get full story here.

*Earlier we said it could happen. Now, it’s has happened. In the Jussie Smollet investigation, police have now arrested those 2 men who are brothers with ties to “Empire.” Specifically, they were booked for battery.

The two brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, are from Nigeria and Chicago cops are now calling them “potential suspects” … as opposed to persons of interest. As was reported earlier, their home was raided on Thursday and police seized a long list of potential evidence … including several bottles of bleach (see the video above).

A Chicago law enforcement source tells TMZ that the next step may be a lineup in which Jussie will be asked to identify the culprits.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT UPDATE: NIGERIAN BROTHERS RELEASED WITHOUT CHARGES

Abimbola 'Abel' Osundairo - Olabinjo 'Ola' Osundairo
Abimbola ‘Abel’ Osundairo – Olabinjo ‘Ola’ Osundairo

Earlier, we reported …

*There’s movement in the Jussie Smollett alleged hate crime story. Two brothers from Nigeria, identified earlier as “persons of interest,” could face charges in the case, according to their attorney.

On the other hand, it’s not clear what the men could be charged with, their legal rep, Gloria Schmidt, told CBS News. By the way, Chicago police have until 5:45pm today to charge them, otherwise they will have to be freed from custody.

“They are baffled about why they are people of interest,” Schmidt said. “It’s an awful thing that happened to Jussie, but it’s not my guys.”

She said the men, identified by CWBChicago.com, as Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo and his brother Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo, worked with Smollett on the set of his hit TV show “Empire” and worked out with him at the gym.

CWBChicago tweeted an undated photo of director Lee Daniels posing with the muscular brothers on the Empire set.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT: POLICE INVESTIGATING WHETHER HE STAGED ATTACK; ALLEGEDLY BEING WRITTEN OFF ‘EMPIRE’

lee daniels - nigerian brothers-
On the set of ‘Empire’: Lee Daniels with Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo and his brother Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo (Photo via cwbchicago/Twitter)

Schmidt went on to say that her clients had nothing to do with the alleged assault on Jan. 29 in Chicago — in which Smollett claims two men shouted racist and gay slurs at him, punched him, doused him with a “chemical substance” that could’ve been bleach and threw a noose around his neck.

Schmidt said the brothers were just as stunned as everyone else over the 2am beating.

“This is someone that they know, this is someone that they’ve worked with,” she said. “So they don’t want to see somebody go through that.”

21 SAVAGE: RAPPER SAYS HE WAS ‘DEFINITELY TARGETED’ BY ICE [WATCH]

Jussie Smollett attends Songwriters Hall Of Fame 47th Annual Induction And Awards at Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 9, 2016 in New York City.
Jussie Smollett attends Songwriters Hall Of Fame 47th Annual Induction And Awards at Marriott Marquis Hotel on June 9, 2016 in New York City.

Sources told the Chicago affiliates for both ABC and CBS on Thursday that investigators were looking into whether the men helped Smollett stage the attack because he was being written off the Fox show.

But the reports were disputed by Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

“Media reports anout [sic] the Empire incident being a hoax are unconfirmed by case detectives,” he tweeted. “Supt Eddie Johnson has contacted @ABC7Chicago to state on the record that we have no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate.”

Developing …

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

YOU MAY LIKE

SEARCH

- Advertisement -

TRENDING