Jussie Smollett Says 'Empire' Creator Lee Daniels' Fat Shaming Lead Him To Hire Osundairos Brothers In Attempt To Lose Weight
Dec. 7 2021, Published 11:43 a.m. ET
Jussie Smollett name-dropped his former boss Lee Daniels during his hate crime hoax trial and not in a good way.
The 39-year-old actor took the stand for the first time on Monday, claiming he hired the Osundairo brothers to help him lose weight only after the Empire creator fat-shamed him.
Jussie didn't hesitate to throw Daniels under the bus, saying under oath that Lee called him "fat." The ex-Empire star claims Daniels' crude comment made him want to drop pounds for a music video, and that's why he sought help from the two brothers.
According to Jussie, he wrote Abimbola Osundairo a $3,500 check for nutrition and training advice. The brothers claim the payday was for their help in orchestrating an elaborate fake attack on the actor.
Jussie was repeatedly asked on the stand if the attack was a hoax. He denied it every time.
Jussie Smollett Tells Jury He Did Not Stage Alleged Hate Crime Against Himself Under Oath In Trial
When it comes to Jussie's comment about Daniels' alleged fat-shaming, RadarOnline.com reached out to the Hollywood director for the tea. So far, no word back.
Their friendship didn't quite weather the storm, despite working together for 5 seasons on Empire.
The pair are no longer on speaking terms. Jussie and Daniels' "relationship is nonexistent, and it was tense even before Jussie’s attack incident,” a source told Page Six last year.
According to insiders, one major clash between the two centered around R. Kelly. Daniels' allegedly wanted the disgraced musician to write songs for Jussie's character, but the actor put his foot down due to Kelly's reputation in the industry.
Jussie reportedly went to Fox executives on the regular to complain about the director. "It was things like that that did not sit well with Lee,” their source added. “He [was frustrated by] Jussie because he was constantly going over his head to Fox about their creative differences.”
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Jussie is currently on the stand after police accused him of staging his own hate crime to get attention. The actor tells a different story, claiming he was attacked by two masked men wearing MAGA hats who put a noose around his neck and beat him up on January 29, 2019.
