ABC(CHICAGO) — The two Chicago brothers who claim Jussie Smollett paid them to help stage what police deemed a “hoax” attack filed a defamation lawsuit on Tuesday against the Empire actor’s lawyers.
Abel and Ola Osundairo filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Chicago, accusing Smollett’s attorneys Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian of making false public statements about them which have damaged them both emotionally and economically.
The suit alleges that Gerogos and Glandian continued to foster the myth that the attack on Smollett was real, and portrayed the brothers as the perpetrators, defaming them in statements to the media. But according to the brothers, Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose.”
The Osundairos’ brothers lawsuit says that due to the attention and the negative comments from Smollett’s attorneys, they haven’t been able to find work, and their livelihoods have been negatively affected. They are suing Geragos and Glandian for $75,000 each.
In a statement to ABC News, Geragos and Glandian said, “At first we thought this comical legal document was a parody. Instead this so-called lawsuit by the brothers is more of their lawyer driven nonsense, and a desperate attempt for them to stay relevant and further profit from an attack they admit they perpetrated.”
The statement continues, “While we know this ridiculous lawsuit will soon be dismissed because it lacks any legal footing, we look forward to exposing the fraud the Osundairo brothers and their attorneys have committed on the public.”
As previously reported, Chicago police allege that Smollett paid the brothers to help him stage the January 29 attack. The actor stands by his story that he had nothing to do with the attack, but he was subsequently charged with filing a false police report.
The charges were later dropped in exchange for the actor forfeiting his $10,000 bond. He was supposed to have reimbursed the city of Chicago $130,000, but he has not; the city is now suing him.
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