, two American-born brothers of Nigerian descent who reside in Chicago and have worked on"Empire," became cooperating witnesses, he said.
That's not to say he and the detectives working the case didn't have their doubts about Smollett's story, he said. In a press conference following his arrest, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said,"First Smollett attempted to gain attention by sending a false letter that relied on racial homophobic and political language. When that didn’t work, Smollett paid $3,500 to stage this attack. The stunt was orchestrated by Smollett because he was dissatisfied with his salary so he concocted a story about being attacked.
Smollett's attorneys have said the check, made out to Abel Ola Osundairo, was for personal training sessions and nutrition plans.