Find the latest updates on Jussie Smollett’s alleged gay bashing/racist attack here:
A Timeline:
Jan. 22 – A letter threatening “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett is received in the mail at the Fox studio where the show is filmed. The note uses letters clipped from a magazine.
Jan 29 – Smollett reports that he is attacked by two men who placed a rope around his neck, poured a chemical on him and yelled racist and homophobic slurs. The attack happened around 2 a.m. on one of the coldest days in Chicago history.
Jan. 30 – Chicago police release a surveillance image of “two persons of interest.” Police say there is no surveillance footage of an attack.
Feb. 2 – Smollett performs in concert in Los Angeles, his first public appearance following the attack. “I’m not fully healed yet. But I’m going to [be], and I’m gonna stand strong with y’all,” he told the audience.
Feb. 4 – Chicago police release the incident report that notes Smollett still had a rope around his neck when police arrived to speak with him. He said the attackers were wearing black masks.
Feb, 12 – Smollett turns over “limited and heavily redacted” phone records to Chicago police. The records include the hour before the reported attack
Feb. 13 – Police raid the home of two brothers, identified as Ola and Abel Osundairo. Some of the items seized include a magazine, stamps, a black face mask, an Empire script, a phone, receipts, a red hat and bleach. The raid happened as the brothers were returning from a trip to Nigeria.
Feb. 14 – Citing police sources, CBS 2’s Brad Edwards reports “indicators point to Smollett orchestrating the event” with other men. The Osundairo brothers are considered persons of interest in the case.
Feb. 15 – The two brothers questioned by police are released from custody and are no longer considered suspects, police say.
Feb. 16—CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reports at least one of the brothers purchased the rope at the Crafty Beaver hardware store. Plain red hats worn by the brothers were purchased at an Uptown beauty supply store. Sources say the brothers made the purchases at Smollett’s direction. Sources say the brothers were paid $3,500 by Smollett to help stage the attack. They also rehearsed the attack.
Feb. 17 – Chicago police say they want to speak with Smollett. “Detectives have some follow-ups to complete, which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says.
Feb. 18 – Smollett’s attorneys said, “There are no plans for Jussie Smollett to meet with Chicago police today. Smollett’s attorneys will keep an active dialogue going with Chicago police on his behalf.”
Feb. 18 – Smollett, upset after a racist letter sent to the show’s studio didn’t get a “bigger reaction,” is suspected of paying two men to attack him a week later, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.
Jussie Smollett Case: Brothers Questioned By Police Were Paid $3,500 To Stage Attack, Which Was Rehearsed Days Before, Sources Say
Chicago police have said they want to speak to Smollett again, because of “new evidence” learned from interrogating two men once considered potential suspects in the case. Police said Smollett is not considered a suspect, detectives just want to interview him to corroborate the new information they received from the two men who were released.
In a matter of days, the two men, who are brothers, went from persons of interest to potential suspects to being released without charges.
Sources said the brothers are now cooperating with police.
Smollett has said two men attacked him while he was walking home around 2 a.m. on Jan. 29. He claimed they yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him, beat him, poured a chemical on him and put a rope around his neck.
Sources told CBS 2 News that Smollett paid the two men $3,500 to stage the attack in Streeterville. The brothers, seen on surveillance video near the scene of the alleged attack, told investigators Smollett directed them to buy the rope used in the incident, and paid for the purchase at Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in Ravenswood days before the incident.
The brothers, who were questioned by police last week before being released, were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria and were promised an additional $500 upon their return.
They left for Nigeria later in the day on Jan. 29, after the attack.
Sources said one of the brothers held the rope and poured bleach while the other wore a plain red hat and yelled slurs at Smollett.
The sources say the red hat was bought at an Uptown beauty supply store and that the attack was supposed to happen before Jan. 29. The brothers told detectives the three men rehearsed the attack days prior to it happening.
All three men rehearsed their plan just days before everything played out.
Sunday night, police released a statement which said they “are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released.”
“There are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include speaking to the individual who reported the incident,” CPD spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stated.
Jussie Smollett Case: Clues Into Potential Motive Behind The Attack
(CBS Chicago)
“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett, upset after a racist letter sent to the show’s studio didn’t get a “bigger reaction,” is suspected of paying two men to attack him a week later, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the investigation.
“When the letter didn’t get enough attention, he concocted the staged attack,” a source told CBS 2 Investigator Brad Edwards. Other sources corroborated that information.
The blockbuster revelation into at least part of Smollett’s potential motive comes two days after CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported Smollett and two brothers — Ola and Abel Osundairo — staged the attack on Jan. 29 in Streeterville.
De Mar spoke on the phone exclusively with the Osundairo brothers Monday afternoon. In a joint statement, they said: “We are not racist. We are not homophobic and we are not anti-Trump. We were born and raised in Chicago and are American citizens.”
Smollett received a letter containing a white powder Jan. 22. The letter was mailed to Chicago’s Cinespace Studios, where the show “Empire” is filmed. The letter prompted a HAZMAT response. CPD says the “white substance” was later determined to be aspirin.
The letter that targeted Jussie Smollett, which was sent to the ‘Empire’ set. (Credit: ThatGrapeJuice.net)
The note was crafted with letters apparently cut out from magazines to form words. The pieced-together message contained racial and homophobic threats directed at Smollett. A magazine is one of the pieces of evidence retrieved from the brother’s home last week during a search conducted by CPD. Investigators also recovered a book of stamps.
Ola Osundairo
The brothers are acquaintances of Smollett.
Abel Osundairo
When asked about the letter in a televised interview last week, Smollett said, “On the letter, it had a stick figure hanging from a tree with a gun pointing toward it.” It also had “MAGA” — reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan Make America Great Again – written as the return address.
“In due course all the facts will reveal themselves, and at the end of the day, my clients are honest and credible,” the brothers’ attorney Gloria Schmidt said.
During the search of the brothers’ home last week, a “piece of paper/writing” was also seized. CBS 2 is the only news source with video from inside that house. Police evidence logs exclusively obtained by CBS 2, show investigators took the writing sample, magazine, and a “wallet with stamps.”
Police left behind and inventory of items taken during the raid of the home of two potential suspects in the Jussie Smollett case.
Chicago police say the FBI is handling the investigation surrounding the letter, because that’s a federal-level concern.
Smollett claims two men attacked him in Streeterville early Jan. 29 as he was heading to his apartment. He said they yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him, poured a chemical on him and put a rope around his neck.
Sources say at least one of the brothers bought the rope used in the incident at Smollett’s request. The sources also say the “Empire” actor paid for the rope, which was purchased at the Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in the Ravenswood neighborhood the weekend of Jan. 25.
Sources said one of the brothers held the rope and poured bleach while the other wore a plain red hat and yelled slurs at Smollett.
The sources say the red hat was bought at an Uptown beauty supply store and that the attack was supposed to happen before Jan. 29. The brothers told detectives the three men rehearsed the attack days prior to it happening. Smollett paid the brothers $3,500.
When Edwards reached out to CPD, immediately prior to this reporting, a spokesperson responded via text:
“We are not doing any interviews or making any official statements until we can corroborate some information that was shared with police. Until we meet with the Empire cast member, we are not able to confirm, deny or comment on any of the information that was released unofficially.
“When this investigation is over, we will have a detailed accounting of the case. While we are not in a position to confirm, deny or comment on the validity of what’s been unofficially released, there are some developments in this investigation and detectives have some follow-ups to complete which include additional investigation and speaking to the individual who reported the incident.”
Smollett’s lawyers replied to request for comment on the new allegations with the following statement:
“We are not going to respond to every new, anonymous accusation or rumor. Jussie Smollett’s lawyers are in contact with the Chicago Police Department. Jussie will continue to cooperate with the investigation in an appropriate and respectful manner that does not include talking to media at this time.”
This article and the contents wherein has been compiled from multiple sources, including but not limited toCBS Chicago, WABC-New York, WCBS-New York, TMZ, Urban Newsroom and others. Should you have a question about something or update about news in this article, submit inquiries to tips@blacknewsalerts.com
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