The two brothers apprehended by Chicago police in connection to the Jussie Smollett attack were allegedly paid by the actor to stage an assault.
During the alleged late January attack, assailants reportedly hurled racist and homophobic slurs at Empire co-star. CNN reports two law enforcement sources with some intel on the investigation claims the brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, brought a rope at a local hardware store.
They also reportedly placed a noose around his neck and poured bleach on him. The siblings were background actors on the hit Fox show. Reports indicate they were also burgeoning actors who were also pursuing bodybuilding.
As reported by Deadline, Smollett's attorneys released a statement following this latest revelation, refuting claims the 36-year-old played a part in orchestrating the attack.
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"As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with," the statement to media read.
"He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."
Chicago Police announced they are changing the "trajectory of their investigation" due to new evidence discovered. However, the actor and singer's attorneys are not responding to the specific claims of unnamed law enforcement sources.
"At the present time, Jussie and his attorneys have no inclination to respond to 'unnamed' sources inside of the investigation, but will continue discussions through official channels," the statement read.
The Osundairo brothers were released from police custody Saturday after 12 hours of detainment. Immediately after their release, new claims supporting allegations of a faked assault were reported by CNN.
PageSix reports Smollett was adamant about going on TV to share his story. An unidentified source close to the Good Morning America booking told the outlet he pushed for a TV interview.
“But Jussie was adamant that he wanted TV right away," a source said. "He raised his voice and said, ‘I need to do this right now. I’m a Black gay man and people need to know what happened to me. I want to tell my story.’ He wanted media right away.”
Rumors around the case claimed Smollett staged the attack in an effort to stay in the limelight when he learned he could be leaving Empire. None of the allegations have been confirmed and Smollett has vehemently denied all claims against him.
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