Newly released photos show actor Jussie Smollett hanging out with one of the Osudairo brothers just days before the alleged hate crime against him. Smollett is on trial this week for disorderly conduct as a result of his claim that he was attacked on the street in 2019 for his race and/or his sexuality. As the trial goes on, TMZ has published three new pictures of Smollett with one of his alleged attackers, Bola Osundairo.
The new pictures were taken on three separate occasions in the months leading up to Jan. 29, 2019, when Smollett was allegedly attacked. The first is from July of 2019, and it shows Smollett and Bola striking a pose together at the Chicago nightclub Joy District. The next shows them smiling arm-in-arm at the nightclub LiqrBox in September of 2018, where they recorded a video as well. The last photo shows Smollett and Bola sitting on either side of a third, unidentified man at the Electric Hotel on Jan. 19, 2019 – ten days before Smollett was bruised up.
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The three photos at least seem to indicate that Smollett and Bola Osundairo were friendly and spent a lot of time together, as both had testified. They also conspicuously do not show Bola’s brother, Abel Osundairo. While Bola’s testimony claims that he and Smollett had a strictly professional relationship, their presence at nightclubs and hotels seems like a closer match for Smollett’s claim that they had a sexual tryst as well.
Smollett testified in court that he and Bola had often snuck away from Abel in order to get intimate together, according to a report by CNN. He also said that he perceived hostility from Abel, and speculated that it was because he was openly gay. He believes the Osundairo brothers attacked him on the street in Chicago that night because of his sexuality and its encroachment on their lives.
Smollett also testified that he had never told the police his attackers wore “Make America Great Again” hats, as has been widely reported. He said that he did not think the police believed his story at the time, which is why he did not give them his cell phone number or follow up with them much.
He also said that before the attacks, Bola began persistently offering to become his personal bodyguard, which Smollett was not interested in. However, Smollett was cross-examined by the prosecution on Tuesday, and many aspects of his account were called into question. According to an analysis by The Daily Beast, the case does not look good for Smollett going forward.
