Smollett testifies he paid for nutrition advice, not hoax

By DON BABWIN and SARA BURNETT
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Jussie Smollett is testifying that he paid a friend and his brother $3,500 for nutrition and training advice, not to help him stage a racist, anti-gay attack on himself. The former “Empire” actor is testifying Monday at his trial on charges of lying to police about the alleged attack. Two brothers testified last week that Smollett, who is gay and Black, orchestrated the hoax to get publicity. They said he paid them to fake the January 2019 attack in downtown Chicago. Smollett’s attorneys have argued the attack was real and that the brothers made up the story about a hoax then asked the actor for $1 million each to not testify at trial.