Tag Archives: slideshow

Nipsey Hussle, Grammy-Nominated Rapper, Shot Dead in Los Angeles

Nipsey Hussle, a Grammy-nominated rapper just this past year, was shot dead outside of his own clothing boutique in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon. He was 33 years old. A multitude of insiders told TMZ and NBC News that the artist was among three victims struck by bullets in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, with the LAPD writing the following Tweet: “At approximately 3:20 pm there was a shooting reported in the area of Slauson Ave and Crenshaw Blvd. 3 victims were transported to a local hospital where one was pronounced deceased.” The incident took place outside of the Marathon Store he opened back in 2017. It wasn’t immediately known whether Hussle, whose real name is Ermias Ashgedom, had survived the shooting, as all three victims were taken to a local hospital and two were listed in stable condition. (Police said a male suspect fled by car and, as of this writing, had not yet been apprehended.) However, NBC News has now Tweeted that Hussle has, indeed, been prounounced dead. The outlet quotes “multiple law enforcement sources” in making this statement, as you can see below: Right before being killed, Hussle appeared to acknowledge some sort of beef or feud, Tweeing the following just a few hours ago: Having strong enemies is a blessing. The rapper hails from the Crenshaw area of California and has been rumored to possess ties to the Crips. But TMZ notes that he’s made music with both YG and The Game, both of whom have been ties to Bloods; having gang ties of any kind, it ought to be noted, is pure speculation at this point. We cannot say for certain if these affiliations exist or if they played any role in Hussle’s murder. (UPDATE: TMZ now writes with confidence that the homicide WAS gang-related, stating that the shooter walked right up to Hussle and shot him on the street; he then ran to a waiting vehicle.) Hussle’s debut studio album, “Victory Lap,” was nominated for Best Rap Album at this year’s Grammy Awards. (He lost out to Cardi B in this category.) Prior to this release, he had come out with numerous mixtapes over the course of a decade-long career. In September of 2018, gunfire also rang out nearby Hussle’s clothing store. But he was not around at that time. The rapper and actress Lauren London are the parents of a two-year-old child; he has another kid from a previous relationship. As the sad word spread that Hussle had been shot, numerous performers and athletes, including LeBron James, 50 Cent and Steph Curry, quickly tweeted best wishes. Wrote Curry, prior to learning that the star was dead: God please cover and restore @NipseyHussle right now!! And 50 Cent:  Thoughts and prayers for @NipseyHussle James. meanwhile, simply included a series of exclamation points after tagging Hussle’s Twitter handle. Drake, for his emotional part, wrote this on Instagram after Hussle was confirmed to have passed: F-ck. My whole energy is just at a low right now hearing this. We just linked for the first time in years and said we were gonna do a new song this summer cause it had been too long. You were having the best run and I was so happy watching from distance fam nobody ever talks down on your name you were a real one to your people and to the rest of us. I’m only doing this here cause I want the world to know I saw you as a man of respect and a don. Rest easy my g. May Nipsey Hussle rest in peace. UPDATE: TMZ and many other outlets have also confirmed Hussle’s death. Meek Mill has said the loss “broke me,” writing on social media: “We really fighting for our lives against our own kind and really have to take risk and match the level of hatred that we are born in .. I’m tired. prayers for my brother and his family.” Pharrell Williams tweeted: “You were about something..positive and for your community in every chance you had to speak..and because of that You inspired millions..millions who will uphold your legacy forever. rest amongst the stars.” Rihanna first posted this photo of Nipsey and his daughter… … and then wrote as a caption: “This doesn’t make any sense! My spirit is shaken by this! Dear God may His spirit Rest In Peace and May You grant divine comfort to all his loved ones! “I’m so sorry this happened to you @nipseyhussle.” We send our condolences to his friends, loved ones and relatives. View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2019: In Memoriam

Here is the original post:
Nipsey Hussle, Grammy-Nominated Rapper, Shot Dead in Los Angeles

Meri Brown: Sorry, Kody, But I am SICK of Being a Sister Wife!

It seems like we’ve heard about a billion reports about one or two (or all!) of the Sister Wives ladies getting fed up with polygamy and leaving Kody Brown, right? And that makes sense. It would be hard to be a sister wife for many, many reasons, and to be Kody Brown’s sister wife specifically? No thanks. Of all the wives though, Meri is the one we most frequently hear about in these reports, and that makes sense, too. Meri’s been through some stuff. From the very first season of Sister Wives, we saw that she had some real issues with Kody . She was never able to have another child after having Mariah, and he frequently urged her to do more to try to have one more kid with him. And like the rest of the wives, she always struggled a bit with sharing her husband. Things reached a low point a few years ago when Kody legally divorced her — she was the only one actually married to him, the rest were “spiritual marriages” — so he could marry Robyn and adopt the children she had from a previous marriage. She understood why he wanted to do this, but still, it was a divorce. Around this time was when the whole catfish thing happened . Yep, Meri started talking to some guy on Twitter, then the conversation moved to texts and phone calls. She clearly developed feelings for the guy, but then it turned out who she was actually talking to was some woman playing tricks on her. Still, she did think she was talking to man, and she really did seem to have an emotional affair. It’s weird to think about it like that, since Kody does have three other wives, but that’s just how things work for this family. Everyone tried to stick by Meri and make it into some big thing about how she’d been deceived and catfishing is bad and all that, but it caused some rifts in her relationships. She and Christine have really been struggling to get along with each other, and of course we know all about her problems with Kody. In the past couple of years, they’ve barely even seemed like a couple . And that’s why, according to a new report from In Touch, Meri is prepared to move on. The source of this information is a woman named Kendra Pollard — she used to be friends with the family, but that friendship faded when she started running her mouth about them to whoever would listen. This time around, Kendra claims that Meri is “seeing so many guys” because “that’s what Meri does. She likes attention.” “The minute someone looks at her negatively, she’s done,” she continues. “She’s very hot and very cold.”‘ “She’s a very difficult person to be around.” What’s happening, according to this source, is that “She dates but she’s probably not going to become public with anybody until they’re serious because she knows the scrutiny she’ll get and her biggest thing right now is keeping her fans happy and promoting her business.” On the flip side, “She’s going to stay on this wagon for as long as she can,” the wagon being the Sister Wives show. “It’s her only means for survival.” Kendra says that “Kody just spent all this money on rent and property” after their big move, “so he doesn’t have much to offer.” So now “Meri’s got to be careful because if she comes out with a guy, she’s going to break contract.” Either way, she seems certain that Meri “is eventually going to be gone.” The gist of all of this seems believable — it’s easy to imagine that Meri wants out but that she also feels hesitant to cut ties with Kody and the rest of the family because of the show. But could she really be dating all kinds of guys secretly? View Slideshow: Meri Brown: 19 Shocking Facts About the Sister Wives Star! Is she so done with Kody that the only thing keeping her around is that sweet reality show money? Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

See the article here:
Meri Brown: Sorry, Kody, But I am SICK of Being a Sister Wife!

Kailyn Lowry: I am DONE with Chris Lopez, He Hurt Me SO MUCH!

So it's not exactly a secret that Kailyn Lowry doesn't have the best relationship with Chris Lopez. Quite the opposite, really. Kailyn and Chris have had a troubled relationship for basically the whole entire length of their relationship, and we've heard sordid detail after sordid detail about just how troubled things were. They did get back together for a bit recently, but apparently that's over again. And now in a new interview, Kailyn is telling everyone just how done she is. 1. The Beginning Kailyn has known Chris for a while now. They went to college together, and she got pregnant with Lux towards the end of 2016, so, you know, they’ve at least been friendly since then. 2. Mysterious! We don’t know too much about Chris since he’s always refused to be on Teen Mom 2, but from what we understand, it was never like they were in a normal relationship. 3. Uh Oh Kailyn has said that Chris was dating another woman while she was pregnant with Lux, and we saw him blow off doctor appointments, and pretty much her in general, until the baby was born. 4. At Least There’s This He did show up for the birth, and he drove Kailyn and Lux home from the hospital, but then things got bad again. 5. Yikes In her last book, Kail claimed that when Lux was a newborn, “I’ve had my bedroom window broken while the baby was asleep with me in the room. My backdoor had been broken while all of my kids were at home.” 6. Bad Times She also wrote that there was a period of time in here where she and Chris didn’t even talk to each other for eight months. View Slideshow

Read the original:
Kailyn Lowry: I am DONE with Chris Lopez, He Hurt Me SO MUCH!

Jenelle Evans: STFU About My Marriage!

Jenelle Evans would like your attention. She'd like you to listen up. Could you scoot up close to your computer screens please? Turn off the television? Remove all distractions? The polarizing MTV personality knows what you've been saying and thinking about her marriage to well-known bigot David Eason and she very much wants to set the record straight. Okay? Are you ready? Scroll down to see what Jenelle has to say… 1. Are They Together or What? All loyal Teen Mom fans have been wondering for months about the status of this marriage, beginning back in October with the alleged assault against Jenelle… committed by Eason. 2. Yes, Jenelle Stood Up for David Afterward She claimed he didn’t touch her at all. But then rumors of a separation starting making their way around the Internet. 3. What Made Folks Think This? Well… Jenelle wondered aloud online in February, ‘Wonder where my husband went?” — which seemed to be the first time she hinted at a split. 4. SINGLE! And then David changed his Facebook profile to include his “single” status. Speaks for itself, right? 5. Me Too! And then Evans first changed her status to read “separated,” prior to really driving this point home. 6. As F-ck, People She even changed her profile picture and said she was “Single AF.” View Slideshow

More here:
Jenelle Evans: STFU About My Marriage!

Jussie Smollett: City of Chicago Demands MASSIVE Reimbursement

In a stunning move, prosecutors dropped charges against Jussie Smollett following his arrest for allegedly staging his own hate crime attack. This move has left many wondering why, and others remain fiercely divided over his innocence or guilt. But this isn’t a case of “no hard feelings.” The city of Chicago aims to make Jussie pay a massive sum in police costs. Bill McCaffrey has the exhausting-sounding job of being spokesperson for the Chicago government’s legal department. He tells Entertainment Tonight that the city is seeking a whopping $130,000 from Jussie Smollett. That figure is ostensibly meant to compensate for wasted resources. “The city feels this is a reasonable and legally justifiable amount to collect,” McCaffrey explains. His statement notes that the money is intended “to help offset the cost of the investigation.” The Department of Law, City of Chicago sent a letter to Jussie. “In order to resolve the matter without further legal action,” the letter states. The message continues: “The City requires immediate payment of the $130,106.15 expended on overtime hours in the investigation of this matter.” That same letter contains a threat. If Jussie does not pay the sum within a period of just seven days, the Department of Law may prosecute him for making false statements to police. Jussie has maintained his innocence throughout this story, which began in late January. Controversial Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel as well as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson feel otherwise. The two came forward to disparage the decision by prosecutors to drop charges against Jussie. Earlier in March, Jussie was indicted on 16 different felony accounts over his false statements. At one point, Jussie’s charges could have led to a lengthy prison sentence — though the city now says that prison time was unlikely anyway. Mayor Emanuel has spoken at length about how he believes that the dropped charges are a miscarriage of justice. “I’d like to remind everybody that a grand jury indicted this individual on only a piece of the evidence that police had collected,” Emanuel noted. “… This is a whitewash of justice,” he accused. “A grand jury could not have been clearer.” “Where is the accountability in the system?” Emanuel demanded to know. For the record, grand juries are notoriously willing to indict. That’s just how grand juries operate. “You cannot have,” he said. “Because of a person’s position, one set of rules apply to them and another set of rules apply to everybody else.” “Our officers did hard work day in and day out,” he claimed. Emanuel continued, saying that police were “working to unwind what actually happened that day.” He concluded: “The city saw its reputation dragged through the mud.” The outrage and the threatening letter demanding a six-figure payout are not all that Jussie is facing. In addition to hefty social fallout, both among his possibly-former castmates and the general public, Jussie has become a target. An Illinois legislator has expressed a desire to withhold state film tax credits from any production that employs Jussie. Regardless of whether you are confused, disappointed, or furious with Jussie, that is deeply abnormal. The idea of passing legislation in order to inconvenience one — one — actor isn’t just absurd. It’s kind of embarrassing. So, did Jussie stage his own alleged hate crime? The Chicago Police Department certainly said that he did, The FBI has yet to chime in with their own conclusions. Many have been hesitant to accept the police version of events because the Chicago Police Department is, specifically, very infamous. The amount that Jussie’s alleged lies may have cost them are a drop in the bucket beside the amount that the city coughs up each year in exessive force payouts. Chicago has paid hundreds of millions in just six years, but notably, Rahm Emanuel has never spoken this much about police misconduct. So people find it odd that he has the audacity to claim that Jussie is benefitting from a double standard. If Jussie really did fake his hate crime, he did more than waste resources — he cast unfair doubt upon future hate crimes, which happen with horrifying frequency. Many have trouble buying the prosecution’s claim that Jussie simply wasn’t worth the effort. It is believed that some degree of police misconduct may have been discovered, prompting the prosecution to drop the case rather than proceed. It is entirely possible that this entire story — from Jussie to the police to the prosecutors to the mayor — features zero good people. That is such a shame. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett: This is How He Staged His Alleged Assault

Read more here:
Jussie Smollett: City of Chicago Demands MASSIVE Reimbursement

Khloe Kardashian to Jordyn Woods: Quit Playing the Victim!!

Earlier this week, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians trailer dropped, revealing Khloe screaming that her “family was ruined.” On the same day as that meltdown teaser aired, Khloe took to Instagram to share some not-so-subtle messages, as is her habit. In them, she doubles down on her dislike of Jordyn Woods, accusing her of “playing the victim.” Khloe Kardashian has been in the habit for months now of vagueposting on Instagram. Where some might subtweet, writing “annoyed af right now” without context, Khloe has developed a particular style. She shares posts that appear to be words of wisdom or pieces of advice in a format usually used by, frankly, much much older folks on social media. But Khloe’s messages appear to be extremely relevant to her life, and it is believed that when she shares them, it’s meant as commentary. Khloe’s latest post reads: “Stay away from people who play the victim knowing they’re in the wrong.” If you think that Khloe is talking about Jordyn Woods, you’re not alone. HollywoodLife explains that Khloe is still hung up on the much younger woman, and that it’s about more than just the kiss with Tristan. “Khloe still cannot believe Jordyn is telling people she reached out to her,” an insider reports. Additionally, the source says that “Khloe doesn’t understand why Jordyn went on Jada’s show.” “She’s finding it very hard to wrap her head around,” the insider describes. “And,” the source adds, Khloe “is telling people she doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to forgive her for that.” “It’s not the fact that she hooked up with Tristan,” the insider reports. “Khloe wishes Jordyn just called her and said, ‘I made a mistake and I’m sorry,’” the source explains. “And,” the source concludes. “She’s upset she never got that.” It sounds like Khloe wants Jordyn to grovel before her and just accept the version of events that Khloe has decided to believe. When Jordyn told the world that Tristan gave her an unsolicited kiss, Khloe accused her of “lying.” “Narcissists have tow sets of rules,” Khloe shared in yet another Instagram Story. “They demand YOU do all the apologizing,” the post continues. “YOU respect them, YOU can’t say anything or criticize them.” “YOU do whatever they say,” it adds. “And YOU can’t have feelings or express those feelings.” “However,” Khloe’s post observes. “None of those feelings apply to them.” While this could be a general piece of advice post, it appears that Khloe is talking about how she feels silenced and wrongfully maligned. Khloe continues: “They can do and say whatever they want, whenever they want.” That reminds us a little of Khloe’s issues with Jordyn going on Red Table Talk , though we’re not sure that this is all about Jordyn. The post says that narcissists “never apologize.” Narcissists are also allowed, by their rules, to “be totally disrespectful.” “And,” the post concludes. “They seem to think it’s perfectly fine.” While that sounds like a description of plenty of people’s toxic parents, Khloe seems to share things that hit closer to home. The latest Keeping Up With The Kardashians trailer includes Khloe going through a lot of emotional turmoil. One scene shows her screaming “LIAR!!!” mid-conversation into her phone. Another shows her screaming that her “family was RUINED.” Many sympathized with Khloe a year ago when Tristan’s cheating scandal was exposed (the one-year anniversary of that will be April 10). But when Khloe kept him in her life and then lashed out very publicly at Jordyn Woods as she did, people did not appreciate it. Perhaps Khloe shared these quotes because she doesn’t want to be ridiculed for all of that screaming. After the backlash that her anti-Jordyn tweet received, maybe Khloe wants to avoid being told to shush. View Slideshow: Khloe Kardashian Attacks Jordyn Woods, Gets DRAGGED on Twitter

More here:
Khloe Kardashian to Jordyn Woods: Quit Playing the Victim!!

Shenandoah Williams: Young and Pregnant Star Posts Insane Anti-Vax Rant

Shenandoah “Shen” Williams made a splash on Young and Pregnant , and she has continued to speak her mind on social media. There is more to her than being Bariki’s mom or feuding with Ashley. Unfortunately, not all of it is good. In a ranting post filled to the brim with wild conspiracy theories, Shen is screaming her anti-vax views to the heavens. On her private Instagram, Shenandoah posted a lengthy status, railing against vaccinations and against policies designed to curb outbreaks. “OK,” Shen begins. “So New York won’t let non-vaccinated kids in public after measles outbreak.” That new policy has been widely applauded because of how many children it will protect. “But once you get vaccinated,” she asks. “Are you not protected?” Shen goes on to declare that the entire vaccination situation is “bulls–t.” “They are so stupid,” Shen accuses. She then explains why she thinks that potential plaguebearers should be allowed to mingle with other children. “If vaccines protect you,” she suggests. “You should not have to worry about being infected right?” She then takes things in a much wilder direction, and gives voice to some real nonsense. Shen writes that she suspects that the “government is killing us.” Shen then lists a startling example to illustrate her conspiracy theory. “Like this HIV vaccine,” Shen suggests. We’ll share our guess as to what she means, but … unless we missed some major medical news, there is no confirmed HIV vaccine in existence. “You have to wear condoms,” she says, adding: “Get tested every three months and still be at risk.” “So,” Shen asks her fans and followers. “What do you think they are actually putting in us and our children?” Oh boy. “So now,” Shen expresses. “If we don’t put poison in our kids bodies.” Point of fact: the government actively discourages putting poison in a child’s body. There are even laws about it! But Shen clarifies that, when she refers to “poison,” she is referring to “vaccines that don’t work anyway.” (No part of that is true) “Our kids can’t be treated like the others,” Shen laments. “WTF are they really putting in us if the s–t don’t work?” she asks. Shen then asks: “Why get vaccines if you are still at risk?” “S–t don’t make sense to me,” she confesses. Notably, she could have googled those two questions and saved herself some embarrassment. Finally, Shenandoah tweets the tag: “#populationcontrol.” That was a wild ride from start to finish. To quickly address Shenandoah’s wild misunderstandings. First of all, not everyone can be vaccinated. Some people have allergies or compromised immune systems. These individuals rely upon herd immunity . That is, if they never come into contact with anyone who could even cary an illness, they cannot contract it. Often, these children are kids who are undergoing chemo for childhood cancer, or who have just beaten cancer. It’s a pretty sick twist for a kid to survive brutal cancer and then catch and potentially die of a totally preventable disease. But it has happened, even recently, because of outbreaks caused by anti-vaxxers. When she refers to an HIV vaccine — a thing that the entire world would celebrate if it existed — she may mean PrEP. That is an antiviral that, if taken regularly, can significantly reduce the risk of contracting HIV. While that is an ideal medicine for people who are at risk for HIV, there have been a couple of people who have contracted HIV anyway. it is, and we cannot emphasize this enough, not a vaccine. Vitamin C is not a vaccine against colds. Neither can be cited to “prove” that vaccines don’t work. Finally, her population “control” theory doesn’t fly. People in many countries have declining birthrates because of economic, environmental, and social factors. No part of her bonkers rant holds any water. Maybe Shen should go back to accentuating her butt when she poses in pictures. View Slideshow: Kailyn Lowry Doubles Down on Anti-Vaccine Stance, Is a Danger to Her Kids

Original post:
Shenandoah Williams: Young and Pregnant Star Posts Insane Anti-Vax Rant

June Shannon: I Need My Boyfriend! Because I’m Blind!

According to a recent police report, June Shannon was threatened by boyfriend Geno Doak in a gas station parking lot. The situation escalted to such an extent that cops were called to the scene and both Shannon and Doak were arrested . For possession of crack cocaine! It was pretty serious business. But Shannon doesn’t really think this is the case. And she’s now gone on record about Doak, what he means to her and why she thinks a judge was wrong for telling Geno to stay away from June after the couple was taken into custody. This judge made this decree because Doak allegedly threatened Shannon’s life — although both parties subsequently ignored the order when they hit up an Alabama casino just hours after it was handed down (as documented below). Still, legally, Doak is barred from spending time with Shannon at the moment. This is something the From Not to Hot star is trying to change. View Slideshow: Mama June: Still Partying With Violent Boyfriend After Arrest! TMZ has obtained legal documents written by Shannon’s attorney that state she is partially blind. She explains that Doak helps her get through everyday and that he’s very loving toward her children and that the two are dedicated to mending their relationship. Shannon wants the court to know she does not fear for her safety around Doak… she is not concerned about what Geno could do to her… and she’s asking the court to lift the protective order saying he must stay away from her. She’d also really like the domestic violence charge against Geno dismissed as well. Shannon and Doak were arrested back on March 15. After someone called the police due to the loud argument in which they were engaged, June told these authorities that the drugs they found inside the vehicle belonged to her. As did the $1,300 in cash they found in her bra. Per various news outlets, Shannon was apprehended on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Doak, meanwhile, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia and domestic violence. It was the latest in a string of arrests for both Doak and also for June’s boyfriends overall. She has very questionable taste in men. Sources tell TMZ that those close to Shannon think Doak is a terrible influence, but she writes in her new court documents that this simply isn’t true. Shannon says the situation at the gas station “got heated and out of hand, but never was I in fear for my safety or did I want the police involved.” She adds she’s lived with Geno for three years and they’re “working on our relationship to make us stronger as a couple.” They’re also talking marriage and co-starring on From Not to Hot, althought the future of that series is now a mystery. “We share our viewers’ concerns for June Shannon and her entire family. We are monitoring events as they occur and are focused, as always, on the entire family’s well-being,” said WEtv in a statement after June’s arrest. She probably doesn’t deserve to make lots of money by anchoring a television show, that much seems certain at this point. June Shannon needs to make better life choices.

See the rest here:
June Shannon: I Need My Boyfriend! Because I’m Blind!

Conor McGregor Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that legendary UFC fighter Conor McGregor had been arrested for sexual assault. The news came shortly after McGregor announced that he would be retiring from the sport that made him famous. Many fans and media outlets concluded that the 30-year-old’s decision was a result of the ensuing scandal. Now, however, a representative for McGregor claims that the two developments are unrelated. And while she stopped just short of denying that McGregor had been arrested, she did refer to the report of his arrest as a “rumor” in her statement to ESPN. “This story has been circulating for some time and it is unclear why it is being reported now,” Karen Kessler told the network. “The assumption that the Conor retirement announcement today is related to this rumor is absolutely false.” Kessler declined to go into further detail regarding the allegations against McGregor. She did, however, state that he has not closed the door on further competition. “Should Conor fight in the future it must be in an environment where fighters are respected for their value, their skill, their hard work and their dedication to the sport,” she stated. The Times reports that McGregor was arrested in his native Ireland back in January. Dublin police have been tight-lipped with regard to details, but a statement from the department confirms that the alleged assault took place several weeks before McGregor’s rumored arrest: “[Police] are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a female which occurred in Dublin 2 in the early hours of this morning, Monday December 10th 2018,” a spokesperson said. “No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.” McGregor announced his retirement with a characteristically irreverent tweet on Tuesday: “Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today,” he wrote. “I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!” McGregor has a history of brushes with the law, including an assault arrest  stemming from an April 2018 incident in which he smashed the windows of a bus containing several rival fighters. We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available. View Slideshow: 23 Scandalous Sports Stories

Read the original:
Conor McGregor Responds to Sexual Assault Allegations

Jussie Smollett Attack: What are the Actual Suspects Saying?

Ever since Jussie Smollett was shockingly freed from facing charges related to the alleged attack against him in Chicago, many people have spoken out. There were Smollett’s lawyers . There was Smollett himself . There was a very angry Rahm Emanuel . But two people have remained unsually silent throughout this ordeal… … Abel and Ola Osundairo. The Nigerian brothers were brought in by the Chicago Police Department several weeks ago as the main suspects in this case. And this is where things started to take a turn against Smollett, considering the siblings had worked as extras on Empire and has also trained the actor in the gym. How could his assailants have had a connection to him? How could they have been African-American, when Smollett swore his attackers were white? Could the siblings have been paid by Smollett to orchestrate the incident and only pretend to beat him up? This became the working theory, and it was exacerbated after a check written to the brothers emerged, as well as text messages between Smollett and Abel. Said an attorney for the brothers, just a few days before the charges against Smollett were dropped: “My clients have tremendous regret over their involvement in this situation, and they understand how it has impacted people across the nation, particularly minority communities and especially those who have been victims of hate crimes themselves.” So… what do they have to say now? In light of Smollett getting off entirely? Nothing. That’s the weird thing. According to TMZ, the lawyer for Abel and Ola urged them to make a public statement very soon after the Smollett news went viral yesterday. But they refused to do so — and, in response, lawyer Gloria Schmidt actually quit, saying she no longer wished to represent Abel and Ola. The cops and prosecutors both say the brothers were the ones on the street with Smollett on the night of the attack. Naturally, all observers are now wondering what role they played because there are really only two scenarios: 1. They did commit the assault. 2. They helped Smollett fake it and cover it up. Considering they weren’t arrested for the former, wouldn’t they want to speak out and clear their names in regard to the latter charge? This whole thing is such a confusing mystery. The man responsible for dropping the charges against Smollett, First Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Magats, says his decision does not exonerate the star. “We stand behind the investigation, we stand behind the decision to charge him and we stand behind the charges in the case,” Magats said yesterday, adding: “The mere fact that it was disposed of in an alternative manner does not mean that there were any problems or infirmities in the case or the evidence.” Magats later tried to say that Smollett did not commit a violent act and that’s the only reason his office chose not to pursue this case. Again, it’s a confusing mystery. But not to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “This is a whitewash of justice,” the politician told reporters on Tuesday, continuing as follows: “I’d like to remind everybody a grand jury indicted this individual based on only a piece of the evidence that the police had collected in that period of time. So a grand jury actually brought the charges… You have a person using hate crime laws that are on the books to protect people who are minorities from violence to then turn around and use those laws to advance your career and your financial reward. Is there no decency in this man? Sounds like a fair question. View Slideshow: Jussie Smollett: This is How He Staged His Alleged Assault

Continue reading here:
Jussie Smollett Attack: What are the Actual Suspects Saying?