Tina Glandian, one of actor Jussie Smollett’s defense lawyers, says “whiteface” makeup may have been used by brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo during the now-infamous “MAGA country” attack.
The “Empire” star’s legal representation maintains that “it’s not implausible” to conclude that makeup was used as an extra layer of disguise on Jan. 29, the night Mr. Smollett was attacked.
Ms. Glandian made the remarks on NBC’s “Today” show with Savannah Guthrie while discussing prosecutors’ decision to drop all 16 felony counts for allegedly filing a false police report.
“According to the court records, he, Smollett was very clear with police on the night of the attack that his attackers were white. He said they had masks on and gloves, but he saw he saw their eyes and he saw the skin surrounding their eyes,” Ms. Guthrie said Thursday. “Was that a false statement?”
“So, just to be clear, he only saw one of the attackers,” Ms. Glandian replied. “One of them he didn’t see. He saw one through a ski mask. Again, he could not see their body. Everything was covered and he had a full ski mask on except the area around the eyes. He did tell police that he, from what he saw, he thought it was pale skin or white or pale skin was I think what he said.”
“Why did he say that? He could have said ’I don’t know,’” the host countered. “The Osundairo brothers, what are the chances that’s the case that he saw somebody with light skin?”
“Well, you know, I mean I think there’s obviously you can disguise that,” Ms. Glandian said. “You can put makeup on. There is, actually, interestingly enough a video. You know, I think police did minimal investigation in this case. It took me all of five minutes to Google, you know, I was looking up the brothers and one of the first videos that showed up actually was one of the brothers in whiteface doing a Joker monologue with white makeup on. It’s not implausible.”
Investigators assert that the brothers were paid $3,500 by the actor for the attack, although Mr. Smollett claims it was for personal training.
The lawyer went on to say that what Mr. Smollett, 36, wants to put the whole ordeal behind him.
“If he is a victim of a crime as he contends, will he urge prosecutors to bring charges against the Osundairo brothers, and would he be willing to testify?” Ms. Guthrie asked.
“What that attack [on Jan. 29] was pales in comparison to the attack on him by the mayor, by the CPD, by the press, by the public,” the lawyer replied. “What he’s been through after the fact has really been a much harsher attack than he endured that night. This wasn’t a very brutal attack, obviously. It was frightening and something he did not deserve, but they didn’t beat him so badly.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.