This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience. Cookie Policy
Accept
Sign In
The Wall Street Publication
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: Jussie Smollett ‘real victim’ of ‘real crime,’ lawyer says
Share
The Wall Street PublicationThe Wall Street Publication
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.
The Wall Street Publication > Blog > Entertainment > Jussie Smollett ‘real victim’ of ‘real crime,’ lawyer says
Entertainment

Jussie Smollett ‘real victim’ of ‘real crime,’ lawyer says

Editorial Board Published November 29, 2021
Share
Jussie Smollett ‘real victim’ of ‘real crime,’ lawyer says
SHARE

CHICAGO — Jussie Smollett “is a real victim” of a “real crime,” his attorney said in opening statements at the ex-“Empire” actor’s trial Monday, rejecting prosecutors’ allegation that he staged a homophobic and racist attack in Chicago after the television studio where he worked didn’t take hate mail he had received seriously.

Defense attorney Nenye Uche said two brothers attacked Smollett in January 2019 because they didn’t like him, and that a $3,500 check the actor paid the men was for training so he could prepare for an upcoming music video, not as payment for staging a hate crime, as prosecutors allege. Uche also suggested a third attacker was involved and told jurors there is not a “shred “ of physical and forensic evidence linking Smollett to the crime prosecutors allege.

“Jussie Smollett is a real victim,” Uche said.

Special prosecutor Dan Webb said the actor recruited the brothers to help him carry out a fake attack, then reported it to Chicago police, who classified it as a hate crime and spent 3,000 staff hours on the investigation. Smollett said he was attacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump, a report that ignited political and ideological divisions around the country.

“When he reported the fake hate crime that was a real crime,” said Webb, who was named as special prosecutor after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped the original charges filed against Smollett. A new indictment was returned in 2020.

Smollett, who arrived at the courthouse in Chicago Monday with his mother and other family members, is charged with felony disorderly conduct. The class 4 felony carries a prison sentence of up to three years, but experts have said it is likely that if Smollett is convicted he would be placed on probation and perhaps ordered to perform community service.

Webb told jurors Smollett was unhappy about how the studio handled the letter he received. That letter included a drawing of a stick figure hanging from a tree and “MAGA,” a reference to Trump’s Make America Great Again campaign slogan, Webb said.

He said Smollett then concocted the fake attack and had a “dress rehearsal” with the two brothers – who worked on the “Empire” set with Smollett – including telling them to shout racial and homophobic slurs and “MAGA.” Smollett also told the brothers to buy ski masks, red hats and a rope, Webb told jurors.

“He told them to use a rope to make it look like a hate crime,” Webb said.

But Uche said Smollett had turned down extra security when the studio offered it. He also portrayed the brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, as unreliable, saying their story has changed while Smollett‘s has not, and that when police searched their home they found heroin and guns.

Twelve jurors plus three alternates were sworn in late Monday for a trial that Judge James Linn said he expects to take about one week. Cameras are not allowed inside the courtroom and the proceedings are not being livestreamed, unlike in other recent high-profile trials.

Whether Smollett, who is Black and gay, will testify remains an open question. But the siblings will take the witness stand.

Jurors also may see surveillance video from more than four dozen cameras that police reviewed to trace the brothers’ movements before and after the reported attack, as well as a video showing the brothers purchasing supplies hours earlier.

Buried in nearly 500 pages of Chicago Police Department reports is a statement from an area resident who says she saw a white man with “reddish brown hair” who appeared to be waiting for someone that night. She told a detective that when the man turned away from her, she “could see hanging out from underneath his jacket what appeared to be a rope.”

Her comments could back up Smollett‘s contention that his attackers draped a makeshift noose around his neck. Further, if she testified that the man was white, it would support Smollett‘s statements – widely ridiculed because the brothers, who come from Nigeria, are Black – that he saw pale or white skin around the eyes of one of his masked attackers.

Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC.

TAGGED:EntertainmentWall Street Publication
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Nissan to Spend .6 Billion on Battery-Powered Vehicles Over Five Years Nissan to Spend $17.6 Billion on Battery-Powered Vehicles Over Five Years
Next Article Merriam-Webster chooses vaccine as the 2021 word of the year Merriam-Webster chooses vaccine as the 2021 word of the year

Editor's Pick

‘Breach of trust’: Critics slam Ottawa’s vaccine damage program ‘failure’ – Nationwide

‘Breach of trust’: Critics slam Ottawa’s vaccine damage program ‘failure’ – Nationwide

A federal authorities program designed throughout the pandemic to compensate individuals who have been critically and completely injured by vaccines…

By Editorial Board 7 Min Read
Sateliot advances its constellation with 5 new satellites manufactured by Alén House
Sateliot advances its constellation with 5 new satellites manufactured by Alén House

The launch of those satellites is scheduled for 2026, in keeping with…

3 Min Read
8 Greatest Watches for Younger Males to Set New Traits in 2025 | Fashion
8 Greatest Watches for Younger Males to Set New Traits in 2025 | Fashion

We independently consider all advisable services. Any services or products put ahead…

18 Min Read

Oponion

Novo Nordisk shares fall on weight-loss drug trial

Novo Nordisk shares fall on weight-loss drug trial

Customized Care medical internist Dr. Frank Contacessa joins ‘Varney &…

March 10, 2025

Walt Disney World resorts’ new ‘refined’ restaurant to require costume code

 Marriott Worldwide President and CEO Anthony…

June 23, 2025

Covid-19 Drives U.S. Population Growth to Record Low

America’s population grew 0.1% this year,…

December 21, 2021

Fed’s Bullard Eyes Three Rate Rises This Year, Says Fed Must Defend Inflation Credibility

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis…

January 6, 2022

Finest males’s golf glove

Creating an efficient swing is difficult,…

March 17, 2025

You Might Also Like

Denise Richards Divorce Particulars: REVEALED, Surprising!
Entertainment

Denise Richards Divorce Particulars: REVEALED, Surprising!

Studying Time: 3 minutes As beforehand reported, Aaron Phypers filed divorce on July 7, ending his six-year marriage from actress…

4 Min Read
Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom Reunite After Confirming Break up
Entertainment

Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom Reunite After Confirming Break up

Studying Time: 3 minutes Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are making co-parenting a precedence. Within the wake of the previous…

4 Min Read
Denise Richards’ Husband, Aaron Phypers, Recordsdata For Divorce
Entertainment

Denise Richards’ Husband, Aaron Phypers, Recordsdata For Divorce

Studying Time: 3 minutes Denise Richards could quickly be headed for divorce courtroom. TMZ is reporting that Denise’s husband, Aaron…

4 Min Read
Clark Hunt, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs Proprietor, Mourns After Texas Floods
Entertainment

Clark Hunt, Kansas Metropolis Chiefs Proprietor, Mourns After Texas Floods

Studying Time: 3 minutes Clark Hunt, proprietor of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, is in mourning. His entire household is. One…

5 Min Read
The Wall Street Publication

About Us

The Wall Street Publication, a distinguished part of the Enspirers News Group, stands as a beacon of excellence in journalism. Committed to delivering unfiltered global news, we pride ourselves on our trusted coverage of Politics, Business, Technology, and more.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?