‘Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax’ Docuseries Coming to Fox Nation This March

Fox Nation is slated to release a docuseries chronicling Jussie Smollet’s elaborate staged crime, featuring exclusive interviews with those involved in the incident and the ensuing investigation.

Entitled Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax, the series will feature exclusive interviews with those linked to the controversy, including brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo. Chicago police later discovered the brothers were involved in planning the staged crime, and they will share their side of the story in the doc for the very first time, according to a Fox Nation press release sent out today. 

As the brothers reportedly spoke to Smollett before and after the attack, we could possibly learn more details about the planning process and the aftermath.

“Anatomy of a Hoax takes a deep dive into a scam that reverberated through the worlds of entertainment, pop culture and politics,” John Finley, executive vice president of Fox Nation, said in a statement. “We’re excited for viewers to hear the real stories behind this scandal from the Osundairo brothers for the very first time.”

Smollett, who was starring in Empire at the time of the alleged attack, made headlines in January 2019 when he claimed to have been assaulted in Chicago by two men. According to Smollett, the men punched him in the face, poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him and put a noose around his neck. 

Chicago police investigated the incident as a possible hate crime at the time. They arrested two people of interest, the Osundairo brothers, who turned out to be former extras who worked with Smollett on Empire. Police said they released them after they provided information that “shifted the trajectory of the investigation.” 

By February, the actor was charged with filing a false police report. According to Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, Smollett staged the attack because he was “dissatisfied with his salary” on the show, per Variety. 

All charges against him were later dropped, drawing ire from the police department, then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and even former President Donald Trump. He was later hit with six new charges in February 2020 and was found guilty of five. Smollett never returned to Empire, which aired from 2015 through 2020. 

Throughout the trial and controversy, Smollett maintained his innocence and claimed the attack was not a hoax.

Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax is set to release on Fox Nation on March 13.