Source: Nuccio DiNuzzo / Getty
The brothers who allegedly helped Empire actor Jussie Smollett stage an assault are suing Smollett’s lawyers, TMZ reports.
Ola and Abel Osundairo are taking Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian to court for defamation, claiming the attorneys lied to the media and made it look as if the Osundairo brothers were genuinely responsible for the homophobic and racist attack on Smollett. The brothers are seeking unspecified damages, per The Blast.
According to TMZ, the brothers filed the case in Chicago, alleging Smollett “used his clout as a wealthy actor to influence [the brothers] who were in a subordinate relationship to him and were aspiring to ‘make it.’”
The suit claims that after the charges against Smollett were dropped, Glandian appeared on Good Morning America, the Today Show, and the Reasonable Doubt podcast and told a series of lies, including the brothers might have worn whiteface during the attack, and they were embroiled in an illegal Nigerian steroid trafficking ring.
Additionally, the lawsuit states that Glandian suggested Abel and Smollett had engaged in “homosexual sex acts together,” The Blast reports. “Ms. Glandian’s globally broadcasted statements that [Abel] Osundairo is homosexual endangers him and the lives of his Nigerian family,” the lawsuit reads.
For Geragos’ part, the suit alleges he “repeatedly indicated that plaintiffs conspired to criminally attack Mr. Smollett, and by doing so, implied plaintiffs committed perjury” to the Grand Jury and colluded to make false statements to Chicago police. The suit adds the brothers didn’t know Smollett would go to the cops and that the “attack” was staged for social media.
The brothers didn’t sue Smollett, who claimed Ola and Abel assaulted him in a racist and homophobic attack.
READ MORE: Complex.com
Article Courtesy of Complex
First Picture Courtesy of Pool and Getty Images
Second Picture Courtesy of Nuccio DiNuzzo and Getty Images
Look Who’s Suing Jussie Smollett’s Lawyers! was originally published on wzakcleveland.com
