Jussie Smollett took the stand for the second day in a row at his trial on Tuesday.
The former “Empire” actor denied under oath all allegations that he brought the Osundairo brothers on a “dry run” of his attack two days prior to it taking place. The two siblings previously testified that he paid them to help him orchestrate the attack in downtown Chicago in January of 2019.
Smollett sat in the witness stand where he faced tense, continued cross-examination from Special Prosecutor Dan Webb, who began questioning him as a witness the previous day. In the first part of the day, Webb forced Smollett to deny that he picked up Abimbola and Olabingo Osundairo in his car and drove them around the area where he wanted the attack to take place.
The prosecution previously stated that this is where Smollett then instructed them on what to buy, what to say and cut them a check for $3,500 as payment for the deed. However, Smollett, as he has done the entire trial, denied that he pre-planned the incident with the brothers. He claims that they were merely driving around town smoking marijuana for fun after canceling plans to work out that day.
He previously testified that he assumed the two men were White based on their use of the N-word as well as the phrase “MAGA,” a reference to former President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan. He denied telling the police that he was sure the attackers were White, saying he used the term “pale-skinned” in an effort not to make assumptions or be racist.
Tyler McCarthy covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.
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