Attacking Jussie: The Osundairo Broth...

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.

News
Society & Culture
True Crime
1
Chapter 2: MAGA Country
Ola and Bola detail the series of events that led up to the attack and how things started to unfold with the press and Jussie’s version of the story.
40 min
2
Chapter 5: I Am Innocent
Ola and Bola take us through the wrap-up of the case: why they think Jussie continues to double down on his innocence, what kind of a person he is and what justice means to them.
44 min
3
Chapter 1: This Is Hollywood
In media reports on the Jussie Smollet case, there’s often talk of two mysterious “Nigerian brothers” who assisted the ‘Empire’ actor in carrying out his hate crime hoax. Until now, these two individuals—Chicago-born brothers of Nigerian descent—have been unable to tell their side of the story.
39 min
4
Chapter 3: The Confession
The brothers expand on the story of their arrest and open up about the way they were depicted in the press, and Jussie’s continued emotive version of the truth.
44 min
5
Chapter 6: What is a Victim?
In the final episode of Attacking Jussie: The Osundairo Brothers Story, Ola and Bola Osundairo reflect on how their role in the hoax has impacted them. Do they have any regrets? If given the chance to go back in time, would they do it again?
50 min
6
Chapter 4: The Seduction
Bola tells never-before-heard details about Jussie’s sexual advances toward him, and the relationship he developed with the actor.
43 min
7
Introducing Attacking Jussie: The Osundairo Bro...
Attacking Jussie: The Osundairo Brothers Story is a six-part series featuring EXCLUSIVE, in-depth interviews with Ola and Bola Osundairo.
1 min