Another layer of skepticism was to the public's view of Jussie Smollett's case when police arrested two Nigerian men as suspects. The two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, did not fit the actor's description. He had told legal authorities that his attackers were white and these men are Black. Still, their house was raided by police on Wednesday. A long list of items, including several bottles of bleach, was seized at the time. Both men were arrested on Friday.
The brothers were later released, and the investigation continues with new evidence provided during their interrogation. As previously reported, the Osundairos have worked as extras on the Empire show's set for years. According to TMZ, the cast and crew grew to appreciate them. All three of them would engage in conversations about their shared interests in health and fitness. Insiders told the outlet that Abel became particularly close to Smollett and proved to be an ally of the LGBTQ community. Neither brother has ever expressed any pro-Trump sentiments either, being big Obama fans. Abel is said to have worked on the "Empire" set as recently as a month ago.
“Detectives have additional investigative work to complete,” Guglielmi tweeted after Ola and Abel were released.