Jussie Smollett reportedly had a romantic relationship with one of his alleged attackers.
A source told Page Six that Smollett and Ambimbola "Abel" Osundairo used to "party together" and even had a sexual relationship.
"They used to party together and he had a sexual relationship with [Abel]," the insider said. "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]."
Smollett is set to stand trial for his hand in orchestrating an alleged fake hate crime against himself. The source said that the records of their visits to the bathhouse could be subpoenaed during the trial.
Abel and his brother, Ola, are suspected to be the men Smollett hired to attack him. They've both denied being gay and sued Smollett's lawyers, Tina Glandian and Mark Geragos last year, after they hinted that there was a sexual relationship with Smollett. Their lawsuit claims that the lawyers put their lives and the lives of their family at risk because of the inhumane laws against homosexuality in their native Nigeria. The lawsuit was dismissed last month.
Smollett continues to deny claims that he and the brothers worked together to stage the attack. The actor pleaded not guilty to the charges and insists that he paid the brothers $3,500 for performance-enhancing drugs and not as compensation for the attack. According to the insider, Smollett feels like this is "all one big setup."
