This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG.
Smollett's defense attorney Shay Allen seemed to try to convince a jury through his cross-examination of Bola that he and his brother carried out the attack because they were trying to get Smollett to pay him as private security so that they could secure a regular paycheck beyond what Bola was getting for his regular work on 'Empire.'
Covered by: Brie Stimson
Coverage for this event has ended.
Jussie Smollett's defense team on Thursday worked to discredit the testimony from two brothers -- Olabingo Osundairo and Abimbola Osundairo -- who said this week the actor paid them to attack him.
Defense attorney Shay Allen suggested the Osundairos attacked Smollett because they didn't like him and wanted to extort him to keep them from claiming he staged the assault.
They said Smollett wanted them to douse him with gasoline (but they settled on bleach) and put a noose around his neck, and that Smollett gave them a $100 bill to buy the supplies and paid them with a $3,500 check.
"He had this crazy idea of having two MAGA supporters attack him," Olabingo Osundairo testified.
The defense also suggested the brothers were motivated by homophobia (Smollett is gay) but the prosecution showed the jury a photo of the brothers at a 2015 Pride parade.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The prosecution rested on Thursday and the court was adjourned until Monday or Tuesday morning after a long day of testimony in the Smollett trial.
Smollett is accused of manufacturing a fake racist and homophobic attack against himself.
A doctor who examined Smollett testified Thursday that his injuries were real after the incident but the prosecution while cross-examining Dr. Robert Turelli, pointed out that he could not determine the cause of the injuries and it wasn't his job to make that determination.
Tucker Carlson reviews the evidence in the Jussie Smollett trial.
Click here to watch on Fox News.
Live Coverage begins here