Abel and Ola Osundairo, the brothers who told the police that Empire actor Jussie Smollett paid them to stage a racist and homophobic attack against him, are reportedly refusing to stand by their story with a public statement now that charges against Smollett have been dropped. TMZ reports that the brothers plan to maintain their silence now that Smollett's criminal record has been wiped clean much to the dismay of their former attorney, Gloria Schmidt. According to their article, Schmidt has dropped them as clients because of their refusal to issue a statement to the press.
The news of the Osundairos loss of legal representation came via a written statement to the press.
"The Osundairo brothers were fully prepared to testify in any criminal proceeding in the Jussie Smollett case," it reads, as reported by WGNTV. "Following today's decision ending the criminal case against Smollett, Gloria Schmidt no longer represents the Osundairo brothers as trial witnesses in the criminal matter."
The brothers may have some legal hurdles in the future connected to this case. As The Charlotte Observer reports, the Osundairo brothers testified in front of a grand jury. Gloria Schmidt has previously said that their testimony was not a condition of a plea deal and that it did not mean that they can't be prosecuted in the future.
