The two brothers who were involved in allegedly staging the now infamous attack against Empire-actor Jussie Smollett have filed a defamation lawsuit against Smollett’s attorneys.
Filing the defamation suit on April 23rd, Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo allege that statements made by Smollett’s lawyers professing Smollett’s innocence in turn reflected defamatorily on the Osundairo brothers:
“What followed was mass public outcry, including dismay from the media, several district attorney bar associations, police unions, and the federal government. Many argued the Cook County State’s Attorney botched the prosecution of Mr. Smollett’s case. Some suggested that the State’s Attorney cut him a deal due to his affluence and celebrity.
Mr. Smollett’s attorneys, faced with an outraged public, did not retreat after their success. Instead they doubled down, not simply affirming that Mr. Smollett was a wholly innocent victim, but that (among other accusations) Plaintiffs unequivocally led a criminally homophobic, racist, and violent attack against Mr. Smollett. Defendants made these comments knowing they were untrue to distract from Mr. Smollett’s farce and to promote themselves and the Geragos & Geragos Law Firm. This vitriol against Plaintiffs is tortious and comprises the substance of the following allegations.”
During an April 23rd morning press conference, an attorney representing the Osundairo brothers, Gloria Schmidt, gave an impassioned statement explaining why the suit had been filed:
“My city, my police department, and my clients, all deserve to have their reputations restored. Attorneys Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian, through their continued false statements and hateful rhetoric have only deepened the damage that was caused by the very first out of 16 counts of lies that were told to the police that started this whole situation. That is why today, we are taking action, in federal court. We want to end these malicious attacks and ensure that those responsible for continuing to destroy the reputation of the Chicago Police Department, the city of Chicago, and that of Ola and Bosa are held accountable. Let me make one thing perfectly clear. The Chicagoan brothers told the truth. They could have remained silent. But instead they told the truth to the police, and with their right hand in the air, they told the truth to the grand jury. We are going to make sure that the lies and malice attacking our city, our police department, and my two clients, are met with truth and healing.”
According to the lawsuit, the brothers are seeking $75,000 each in damages. In the lawsuit, the brothers also claim that “Mr. Smollett directed every aspect of the attack, including the location and the noose.”
Following the filing of the lawsuit, defendants Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian released a joint statement calling the suit “lawyer driven nonsense”:
“At first we thought this comical legal document was a parody. Instead this so-called lawsuit by the brothers is more of their lawyer driven nonsense, and a desperate attempt for them to stay relevant and further profit from an attack they admit they perpetrated. While we know this ridiculous lawsuit will soon be dismissed because it lacks any legal footing, we look forward to exposing the fraud the Osundairo brothers and their attorneys have committed on the public.”
What do you make of the brothers lawsuit?