Oh, how I wish we had cameras in the courtroom. Former Empire actor Jussie Smollett took the stand in his own defense, claiming he did not orchestrate a fake hate crime.
Abimbola Osundario told the jury that Smollett recruited him to perform a fake hate crime on him. He claimed Smollett paid him money and gave specific instructions on what to do to him.
Smollett told the jury he wanted herbal steroids from Osundario. He gave him money for an exercise and diet plan for a new music video. Smollett brought up his looks:
Smollett said he talked to Abimbola Osundairo about a training plan in hopes that he’d get more of a dancer or swimmer’s build. They didn’t discuss payment much. “Basically I turned to him and said, you should just be my trainer.”Smollett also testified about how important his face was to his career.“My character was a superstar, a pop star, a beloved GQ whatever,” he said. “It was very important that I looked like Black Cary Grant, not beat down.”Prosecutors have framed a text from Smollett to Abimbola for help “on the low” as a request to help stage the attack. Smollett on the stand is saying it was in fact a request for those herbal steroids, which are illegal in the U.S.When Smollett complained to Abimbola that he tends to gain weight in his face and stomach, Abimbola told him about an herbal steroid he could get him in Nigeria. “He said let me know if you need it on the low,” Smollett said.
No. Smollett’s character had a lawyer brother. I would characterize him as the Black Cary Grant. Smollett’s face is too smooth, not the right bone structure.
Smollett and Osundario met during the fourth season of the hit show. Smollett explained how the two men visited gay bathhouses together, used cocaine and marijuana, and masturbated.
Osundario said they never had a relationship or felt any sexual tension.
Then there’s Osundario’s brother Olabinjo. The defense portrayed him as a homophobe who “creeped” out Smollett.
“Every time we were around him, he didn’t speak to me,” said Smollett. “Every time we needed to lave, he made it seem like we needed to sneak off.”
The defense also insisted the Osundario brothers wanted to scare Smollett into hiring them for his security. The actor did not want Empire security “because he liked to drive his own vehicle and ‘smoke my blunt’ in his car during lunch.”
Smollett tried to explain away the surveillance video allegedly showing the three men practicing the incident.
Smollett felt like he was in a “Looney Tunes” cartoon when he was attacked. He also claimed he did not realize he had a noose around his neck “Because I was getting my ass whooped.”
“I’m a black man in America and I do not trust police,” Smollett responded when asked why he didn’t call the police.
Smollett accused the Chicago Police Department of leaking information and lying about the investigation. However, he texted with CNN’s Don Lemon at the start of the investigation, telling him that the CPD did not believe his story.
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