Visits to an upscale Chicago gay bathhouse may prove that embattled “Empire” star Jussie Smollett was more than friends with his alleged attacker Ambimbola “Abel” Osundairo.
“They used to party together and he had a sexual relationship with [Abel]. They went to this affluent Chicago bathhouse multiple times and they had to show ID. It’s known as a bathhouse where a lot of affluent black gay men hang out. There should be a record [of their visits],” an insider told Page Six, adding that the bathhouse records may be subpoenaed in Smollett’s upcoming trial on charges of disorderly conduct.
Abel and his brother, Ola, have denied they are gay and sued Smollett’s Hollywood lawyers, Tina Glandian and Mark Geragos, last year for defamation after they insinuated there was a sexual relationship between Smollett and one of the brothers in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
The suit claimed the comments put the brothers and their family, who are Nigerian, at risk due to the country’s inhumane laws that state homosexuality is punishable by up to 14 years in prison and death by stoning if the person is married.
“We have sat back and watched lie after lie being fabricated about us in the media only so one big lie can continue to have life. These lies are destroying our character and our reputation in our personal and professional lives,” their attorney, Gloria Schmidt, read in a statement on their behalf at the time.
A judge dismissed the bulk of the defamation suit last month. Smollett, however, continues to fight back against the claim that the brothers helped him stage a hoax racial attack against himself in 2019.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains he paid the brothers $3,500 for performance-enhancing drugs, not to stage a crime. Lawyers for Smollett did not comment, but an insider told us Smollett feels like “it’s all one big setup.”
A lawyer for the Osundairo brothers sent a statement after we ran our story: “Ola and Abel Osundairo have no interest in bringing further attention to false statements… It is obvious the defendants in this lawsuit want to litigate in the media. Ola and Abel Osundairo are focused on revealing all the relevant information in this matter the right way: under oath and in a court of law.”
The story has also been updated to clarify that the brothers’ defamation lawsuit against Smollett’s lawyers was not dismissed in its entirety.