Days before Jussie Smollett told police he was the victim of a vicious racist and homophobic attack, the “Empire” star sent a cautious text to a friend, Cook County prosecutors say.
“Might need your help on the low,” he messaged Abimbola “Abel” Osundairo, Smollett’s co-worker and alleged sometime ecstasy dealer. “You around to meet up and talk face to face?”
How a text from Jussie Smollett set in motion an alleged hoax that dragged 'Chicago's reputation through the mud'
Hours later, Smollett endured the wrath of another black authority figure, Judge John Fitzgerald Lyke Jr., who said he couldn’t in good conscience release the 36-year-old actor from custody on his own recognizance. Instead he set bond at $100,000.
“The most vile and despicable part of it, if it’s true, is the noose,” said Lyke, voicing a similar theme to Johnson’s. “That symbol conjures up such evil in this country’s history.”
Shortly before 4 p.m., after a friend from California posted the necessary $10,000, a stone-faced Smollett left Cook County Jail amid a crush of reporters screaming questions. He had surrendered to authorities about 5 a.m. Thursday.
Smollett gave them a $100 bill to buy rope, ski masks, gloves and red baseball caps that would look like the “Make America Great Again” hat sported by Trump, Lanier said.
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Jmo When jussie wouldn’t hand over his phone right away I’m sure that raised eyebrows, probably got search warrant then.
In fact that told me that he was hiding something and it wasn’t private pics/conversations.
