Attacking Jussie: The Osundairo Brothers Story is a six-part series featuring EXCLUSIVE, in-depth interviews with Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo. Hosted by journalist Charlie Webster.
On January 29, 2019, actor and singer Jussie Smollett reported to the Chicago Police that he had been the victim of a hate crime. According to Smollett, two so-called white supremacists attacked him while he was walking to his apartment in the affluent neighborhood of Streeterville, where he lived while working on the FOX series Empire. Smollett reported the assailants spewed racist and homophobic slurs while beating him, pouring bleach over him, and tying a noose around his neck.
A police investigation concluded the two attackers were Ola and Bola Osundairo, Chicago-born brothers of Nigerian descent who had worked with Jussie on the set of Empire and befriended him. The Osundairo brothers claimed the attack was a premeditated hoax Jussie orchestrated to garner public attention and sympathy.
The attack and subsequent trial became a media sensation, touching on the complex issues of race, LGBTQ+ rights, and politics in an increasingly polarized America. The Osundairo Brothers share their perspective and more, revealing the shocking truth of their involvement in the hoax and how it altered their lives forever.
Attacking Jussie: The Osundairo Brothers Story is Lionsgate Sound’s companion podcast to the Pilgrim Media Group produced documentary Jussie Smollet: The Anatomy of a Hoax, streaming now on FOX Nation.
Series artwork by Pat Leonard.