Jussie Smollett tells jury he paid men for training advice, not to fake attack on himself

Jussie Smollett took the witness stand at his trial on Monday and told the jury that he wrote a $3,500 check to a friend for nutrition and training advice, not as payment for the man and his brother to help him stage a racist, anti-gay attack on himself.

The former Empire TV show actor testified over charges, which he denies, that he lied to Chicago police about an attack in 2019.

The brothers last week said he arranged a fake attack as a publicity stunt.

Smollett had said in January, 2019, that he was walking home in downtown Chicago around 2am when two men approached him, shouting racist and homophobic slurs, beat him up, poured bleach on him and looped a rope around his neck.

The police began investigating a hate crime but Smollett was later accused of staging the attack because he was unhappy at work and wanted to drum up publicity to help his career.

On Monday, Smollett, 39, told the jury how he grew up in a close-knit family of six children and started performing as a child actor before getting more into music.

He said he auditioned for a role on the show Empire of a singer who is gay because he had never seen a Black man portrayed that way.

Smollett said he met Osundairo in 2017 at a club, where he learned Osundairo also worked on the set of Empire.

Both brothers, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo said Smollett orchestrated the hoax, giving them $100 for supplies paying them $3,500 to carry it out.

Defense attorneys have suggested the brothers were motivated to accuse Smollett of staging the hoax because they disliked him and saw an opportunity to make money.

They suggested that after the brothers were questioned by police about the alleged attack, they asked Smollett for $1m each to not testify against him at trial.

Brett Mahoney, who produced Empire in Chicago, testified earlier Monday that Smollett called him after a hate letter depicting violence against him was sent to the set.

He said Smollett agreed to added on-set security.

Smollett denies felony disorderly conduct. The trial continues.