A prosecutor argued that Jussie Smollett staged a “fake hate crime” against himself as the former “Empire” actor’s trial began on Monday.
“When he reported the fake hate crime that was a real crime,” special prosecutor Dan Webb said, according to The Associated Press.
Webb argued that the actor hired two brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, to stage a fake attack against him.
Webb said that Smollett conducted a “dress rehearsal” and told the brothers to shout “MAGA,” a reference to former President Trump’s campaign slogan, Make America Great Again.
Webb also told the jury that the actor directed the brothers to use racial and homophobic slurs against Smollett, who is Black and gay, in addition to telling them to purchase ski masks, red hats and “a rope to make it look like a hate crime,” the AP reported.
At the time of the incident in 2019, Smollett repor… (Read more)
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