WASHINGTON (TND) — Two brothers, once embroiled in a national scandal, have now reportedly apologized for their part in it.
In 2019, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo found themselves in a harsh national spotlight. Actor Jussie Smollett had paid the brothers to "attack" him so he could pretend to be the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.
However, Chicago police became suspicious while searching for Smollett's alleged attackers, and the actor, along with the Osundairo brothers, found themselves caught in their lies.
Smollett was then later convicted on five felony counts of disorderly conduct for lying to police over the alleged attack.
Now, the Osundairo brothers, nicknamed "Bola" and "Ola," are reportedly apologizing for their role in the hoax.
Smollett, a Black man who is also gay, initially told police that he had been attacked by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. He claimed his attackers beat him while they shouted racial slurs at him and also yelled things like "this is MAGA country" while attempting to tie a rope around his neck in an apparent attempt at hanging him. "MAGA," or "Make America Great Again," is a popular slogan used by Trump supporters, his political campaigns and allies.
In truth, the Osundairo brothers claim the attack was nothing more than an elaborate, orchestrated performance. Smollett paid the two brothers to stage an attack on him, and he knew them both from his work on the show "Empire." investigations unveiled.
The Osundairo brothers maintain that it was Smollett who orchestrated the whole hoax and that they were just going along with it. They later sued Smollett and his lawyers over defamation claims following the hoax's unraveling.
However, Smollett fooled many Americans into believing that the attack on him was real. Then-California Senator Kamala Harris, who is now vice president, called the attack "an attempted modern day lynching," in a tweet at the time.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., also fell for the hoax, saying the "attack" on Smollet "was not 'possibly' homophobic. It was a racist and homophobic attack. If you don't like what is happening to our country, then work to change it. It is no one's job to water down or sugar-coat the rise of hate crimes."
The brothers are part of a Fox Nation special called "Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax," where they take viewers to the site of the "attack" in Chicago and detail what actually happened that night.
In the Fox Nation documentary, the Osundairo brothers say Smollett told them to "attack" him when he was in the streets at 2 a.m.
The brothers recall the hoax attack, saying they called out to Smollett, chased him, tackled him, and even gave Smollett "a scar."
To give him a mark," the brothers explain. "To make it look real, like he really did get his a** beat."Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail along with 30 months of probation over his lies to Chicago police.
The actor was released just six days into his sentence pending an appeal.
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