The two Nigerian brothers who were arrested last Wednesday for allegedly attacking “Empire” star Jussie Smollett before being released Friday without charges, released a joint statement Monday.
Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo said to WBBM – TV, “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.”
Here are the two Nigerian brothers Olabinjo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo who are at the center of the LGBT incident that happened in Chicago involving Jussie Smollett pic.twitter.com/iXzvk5Fcbu
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) February 15, 2019
Smollett alleged that two white men attacked him in the middle of the night as he was walking home from a Chicago-area “Subway” restaurant last month. He told police that the men poured a bleach-like substance on him and tied a noose-like rope around his neck while shouting racist and homophobic slurs. (RELATED: Jussie Smollett On MAGA Hats: ‘I Never Said That!’)
There have been reports suggesting that the attack was actually staged by Smollett and the two brothers were paid for their participation, according to CNN.
Smollett’s attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson released a statement Sunday, saying such claims were “nothing further from the truth.”
It also appears that the case could be headed to a grand jury.