Police Arrest, Release Two Brothers in Smollett Investigation Who ‘Have a Relationship’ With Him

“Detectives have probable cause that they may have been involved in an alleged crime.”

Chicago police confirmed Friday that the two Nigerian brothers arrested as part of investigation into the attack on Jussie Smollett “have a relationship” with him.

The two brothers have been released Friday evening without being charged due to new evidence.

Due to new evidence as a result of today’s interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the ‘Empire’ case have now been released without charging,” Chicago Police said.

The arrest of the two siblings, both body-builders, earlier in the day has cast doubt on the incident as originally described by Smollett, who claimed he was attacked by two Trump-supporting strangers hurling racial and homophobic slurs at him and shouting, “this is MAGA land.” According to TMZ,  Smollett had insisted repeatedly that the assailants were white.

It was already known that the two — Abimbola “Abel” and Olabinjo “Ola” Osundairo — worked as extras on “Empire,” the Fox TV show on which Smollett, 36, stars. But later on Friday police confirmed that the two “have a relationship” with Smollett.

Jussie Smollett’s Claim About 2 Men Could Have Just Shattered His Whole Story

“Detectives have probable cause that they may have been involved in an alleged crime,” police spokesman Anthony Guglielm said in an earlier statement, but also noted that previous reports that Smollett is himself suspected of staging the attack are “unconfirmed.” (Those reports have nonetheless given birth to some exquisite responses.)

At least one of the two brothers has a violent record, having been convicted in 2011 for attempted murder, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Smollett’s original version of the incident, which he had recounted last month on Good Morning America, has shocked liberal commentators, leading them inevitably to reprise a lament for America under Trump. But yet again, reality turns out to be a little trickier and a lot funnier.

And if you still doubt it, here’s Abel, one of the two brothers, exercising to the tune of a Jussie Smollett song.

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