Jussie Smollett

Jussie Smollett’s legal team suggested Thursday that a star state witness who testified that the former "Empire" actor recruited him and his brother to stage a fake attack isn’t credible and that he was trying to further his career and make money off his relationship with the actor.

In January 2019, Osundairo stated that Smollett, who he considered a close friend, asked him and his brother, Olabinjo, to help stage the attack. This, after Osundairo said Smollett felt the television studio where they worked was not taking a piece of hate mail seriously.

Jussie Smollett, who is accused of lying to police when he reported he was the victim of racist and homophobic attack in downtown Chicago, appeared troubled when he was told that a surveillance camera did not record the alleged assault, a police detective testified Wednesday.

The first day of testimony in the trial of Jussie Smollett has come to a close. A point of focus in the courtroom Tuesday, Nov. 30, was a text message sent by Smollett to one of two men originally questioned by police.

Two brothers arrested for an alleged attack on Jussie Smollett told Chicago police how the ex-"Empire" actor orchestrated the hoax, telling them via text message to meet him "on the low," paying for supplies and holding a "dry run" in downtown Chicago, the lead investigator testified Tuesday.

Jussie Smollett's trial jury was selected on Monday in the case against the former "Empire" actor for allegedly faking a hate crime back in January 2019.

Jussie Smollett "is a real victim" of a "real crime," his attorney said as the ex-“Empire” actor’s trial started Monday.