The Nigerian brothers who claim Jussie Smollett paid them to stage the attack on him in early January are downright offended that his team had the audacity to say they were wearing whiteface the night of the alleged hate crime.
As we reported, the Empire star was cleared of all charges following a hearing in Chicago this week, a decision that left the police force, the city mayor, and many on the internet stunned.
Gloria Schmidt, the lawyer representing brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, revealed she had been in touch with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office days before the hearing to arrange the brothers’ appearances as witnesses at the trial — but was just as shocked as the rest of the world to learn the 36-year-old had been cleared.
Appearing on CNN Thursday night, Schmidt doubled down on her clients’ claims that the hate crime was a publicity stunt orchestrated by the actor, and said the way Jussie’s team has been trying to hold his story together is “atrocious” and “offensive.”
Related: Donald Trump Calls On FBI To Review Jussie’s Case
In attempt to maintain Jussie’s initial story, that he believed his ski-masked assailants were white because of a sliver of skin he saw around one of their eyes, his lawyer Tina Glandian argued on Thursday that the two brothers who attacked him could have been wearing “whiteface.”
She said on NBC’s Today:
“Obviously you can disguise that. You can put makeup on.”
When it was discovered Smollett’s alleged attackers were black, not white, Glandian claimed she searched the names of the Brothers Osundairo online and found a video showing one of them wearing whiteface in imitation of the famed Batman villain, the Joker. She added:
“One of the first videos that showed up actually was one of the brothers in whiteface doing a Joker monologue. So it’s not implausible.”
It was a bizarre explanation that ignited “oh no she didn’t”-style responses from many — including the brothers’ lawyer. Slamming Glandian’s whiteface theory, Schmidt said last night:
‘I think it’s just absolutely atrocious. It adds to why people are giving lawyers a bad name. To distract from the real issue here and by putting out conspiracy theories, it just adds to the ridiculous and offensiveness of this entire thing.”
Explaining how she was arranging for her clients to testify against the actor days before the shock decision, the lawyer recalled:
“I originally was planning on going on spring break with my family. We were literally, in my living room packing, I told the state’s attorney, I am going on spring break with my family, I’ll see you next week… I had just been in touch with them a few days ago and then I see the news just like everyone else and was baffled. Baffled.”
Same, gurl. Watch a clip of her CNN interview (below).
According to Schmidt, Abel and Ola were “fully prepared” to testify that Jussie paid them to stage the attack as part of a publicity stunt he apparently hoped would lead to a salary increase on Empire.
Now, the actor’s career is on the line as he’s struggling to find any work at all.
That white face Hail Mary pass may not have worked, but we’re sure Jussie’s team has a few more colorful explanations up their sleeves.
[Image via Instagram/WENN]