smollett was also asked about why he didn t turn his cell phone over to police in the initial investigation after the alleged hate crime attack, and the prosecutor specifically pressed him, asking if it was because he was worried that it would show extensive communications with bolla and smollett said no, because at that point, bolla was not a factor in any sort of issue at the time, don. you know, it s really risky to put a defendant on the stand. why did the defense do that? and what were they trying to prove, omar? well, for one, they were trying to push back on some of the major points in the prosecution s case. for one, they went back, or smollett took jurors back to the car ride where the osendaro brothers where smollett first brought up this alleged scheme. and the defense asked him if that was what happened. smollett said no, all they did is drive around and smoke
prosecution s major points in this case. for example, during the car ride where the osundairo brothers testified that jussie smollett first told them about this alleged scheme, jussie smollett testified all he did was drive around and smoke blunts which he said he did often. sometimes by himself but also with bola osundairo more times than he can count. when he was specifically asked by his defense attorney, if at any point in time they talked about a hoax, he answered emphatically, no. now after an alleged hate mail later was sent to the empire studios a week before this alleged attack unfolded, jussie smollett said he was offered security but denied it and to quote him here, he said i don t need to be driven around like i m miss daisy. and that s important because the prosecution has argued that part of the motivation for creating this alleged scheme was because he doesn t believe the show was taking this threat seriously. also after that alleged hate
prosecutor asked whether he had tampered with the rope to make it look more potentially convincing to police. he emphatically denied that saying no. but did say after he initially got to his apartment, he took it off. but then, was told by one of his friends to put it back on. so, police could see that. but again, denied tampering with it in any significant way. earlier today, the defense went through some of the prosecution s major points in this case, piece by piece. one of them, the car ride where jesse smollett allegedly, first, told these brothers about a plan for any potential fake hate crime. and jesse smollett simply said that never happened. all they did was smoke blunts and drive around, which he testified he did frequently, sometimes by himself. but also, more times than he could count with bola and when he was asked point blank whether at any point in time they talked he talked to them about a hoax, he emphatically said no. now, you asked about the relationship with these
bleeding because, my skin was coming off of my body. it was just, the nastiest thing ever. and i feel bad for dave, who has been with me from the beginning, who helped to start freekyle usa.org, i feel bad for him because he had to smell me through that three-hour car ride. tucker: imagine putting that kid in jail. there were few people there that night who were this for the right reasons, who were trying to help, bring order out of disorder, and they put him in jail. the most infuriating part is the facts haven t changed. videotape of that night was available almost immediately to anyone who wanted to see it. it was very clear, this boy had acted in self-defense and they lobbed him up anyway because of political pressure. so what are kyle rittenhouse s plan for the future? how do you live in america if you re kyle rittenhouse? we asked him that straight ahead.
bleeding because, my skin was coming off of my body. it was just, the nastiest thing ever. and i feel bad for dave, who has been with me from the beginning, who helped to start freekyle usa.org, i feel bad for him because he had to smell me through that three-hour car ride. tucker: imagine putting that kid in jail. there were few people there that night who were this for the right reasons, who were trying to help, bring order out of disorder, and they put him in jail. the most infuriating part is the facts haven t changed. videotape of that night was available almost immediately to anyone who wanted to see it. it was very clear, this boy had acted in self-defense and they lobbed him up anyway because of political pressure. so what are kyle rittenhouse s plan for the future? how do you live in america if you re kyle rittenhouse? we asked him that straight ahead.