What really happened the night Jussie Smollett was allegedly assaulted on the streets of Chicago? Unsealed case files paint a picture of the night.
In January of 2019, Empire star Smollett claimed two attackers threw bleach on him, poured bleach on his body, and hurled racist and homophobic slurs during a late-night walk. Hollywood quickly rallied around the actor, but soon, a tide shifted. Detectives in the case started questioning whether Smollett staged the crime. Smollett was arrested for his alleged part in the crime, but in March, all charges against the television actor were dropped.
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Last week, a judge in Chicago ordered Smollett’s case files to be unsealed. On Thursday, they were. You can read the files in full over at the Chicago Sun-Times. Here are some details revealed by the documents.
Smollett Allegedly Bought Drugs From His “Attackers” Months Before
Per the New York Times, the documents claim that Smollett was texting with Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, his alleged attackers and that he discussed purchasing drugs from them.
Smollett Allegedly Kept The Rope Around His Neck On For Over 40 Minutes
After Smollett was allegedly attacked, he went back to his hotel room and phoned the police, per the documents. He kept the rope that the alleged attackers put around his neck on his body for over 40 minutes. He also reportedly walked past a doorman while wearing the rope.
Smollett Denied That The Osundairo Brothers Were His Attackers
According to the documents, this was the reason Smollett claimed the Osundairo brothers could not be his attackers.
“They are black as sin,” Smollett said, noting earlier that one of his attackers was “pale.”
He added, “We don’t have any issues. They are straight so we don’t have any problems with women or men. They did not owe me any money, I don’t owe them money. We have a good relationship.”
Smollett’s Deal Was Reportedly In The Works Before Charges Were Dropped
Per the documents, the assistant state's attorney on the case told Chicago police detectives in January that the likely outcome of the case would involve Smollett paying the city of Chicago $10,000 in restitution and doing community service. This was eventually what Smollett was required to do.
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Smollett Craved Eggs At 2 A.M.
Smollett told police he headed to a Walgreens to buy eggs, despite the below freezing temperatures. The Walgreens was closed, which is why he went to Subway for a tuna sandwich instead.
Smollett Claimed He Was On The Phone With One Of The Osundairo Brothers
Though he initially claimed to be on the phone with only his manager, he later changed his story to police and stated he also spoke with Abimbola Onsundairo, his trainer, over a workout routine for an upcoming music video, per the documents. Smollett declined to give over his phone records to the police.
Smollett Allegedly Created A Payment Plan With The Brothers
According to the documents, Smollett allegedly planned on paying the Osundairo brothers $3,500, and then an additional $500 for staging the attack.
Refinery29 has reached out to a representative for Smollett for comment.