{"id":1091345,"date":"2021-12-06T19:46:43","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T00:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1091345"},"modified":"2021-12-06T19:47:03","modified_gmt":"2021-12-07T00:47:03","slug":"jussie-smollett-says-he-didnt-hand-over-phone-because-don-lemon-texted-that-police-didnt-believe-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jussie-smollett-says-he-didnt-hand-over-phone-because-don-lemon-texted-that-police-didnt-believe-him\/","title":{"rendered":"Jussie Smollett Says He Didn\u2019t Hand Over Phone Because Don Lemon Texted That Police Didn\u2019t Believe Him"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjussie-smollett-says-he-didnt-hand-over-phone-because-don-lemon-texted-that-police-didnt-believe-him%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1091345&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Former \u201cEmpire\u201d star Jussie Smollett testified Monday that he did not immediately hand over his cell phone to authorities partly because CNN\u2019s Don Lemon texted him saying that the Chicago police did not believe his claims that two men attacked him and hurled racial and homophobic epithets at the gay black actor.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier on Monday, Smollett gave the court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-jussie-smollett-testifies-he-did-hard-drugs-went-clubbing-and-to-bathhouse-with-accused-attacker\">details about his sex life and drug habits<\/a> with his alleged attackers, claimed there was no \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/there-was-no-hoax-jussie-smollett-claims-under-oath-that-he-was-driving-smoking-a-blunt-and-texting-in-car-with-osundairos\">hoax<\/a>,\u201d and said that he did not practice any attack but that he was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/there-was-no-hoax-jussie-smollett-claims-under-oath-that-he-was-driving-smoking-a-blunt-and-texting-in-car-with-osundairos\">driving around smoking a blunt shortly before<\/a> the supposed assault by two African brothers occurred.<\/p>\n<p>The Daily Wire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/breaking-jussie-smollett-testifies-he-did-hard-drugs-went-clubbing-and-to-bathhouse-with-accused-attacker\">reported<\/a> Monday that despite Smollett\u2019s claims of being attacked, police investigated his allegations and suspected he was lying.<\/p>\n<p>Brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo are accused by Smollett of attacking him on a January 2019 night as part of an alleged hate crime. Smollett claims the brothers targeted the celebrity because he was gay and black. Smollett has maintained he was attacked by the two brothers walking home from the sandwich shop Subway, where they assaulted him and hung a noose around his neck chanting, \u201cThis is MAGA country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As law enforcement investigated Smollett\u2019s allegations, Chicago authorities suspected that he staged the entire ordeal as part of a hate crime hoax. As a result, Smollett is now being charged with felony disorderly conduct and filing a false police report.<\/p>\n<p>On Monday, Smollett decided to take the stand to clear his name.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, The Daily Wire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/there-was-no-hoax-jussie-smollett-claims-under-oath-that-he-was-driving-smoking-a-blunt-and-texting-in-car-with-osundairos\">reported<\/a> that \u201cChicago Police detectives said that Smollett appeared to be frustrated when he learned that the camera had been pointed in the wrong direction to pick up the attack, and initially refused to turn over his phone to law enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In testimony, Smollett partly clarified why he did not initially give over his phone by stating that \u201che declined to give his phone to CPD in part because earlier he\u2019d gotten a text from Don Lemon \u2018saying he\u2019d gotten a text from CPD saying they don\u2019t believe me,\u2019\u201d according to Chicago Tribune Reporter Megan Crepeau.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">He also says he declined to give his phone to CPD in part because earlier he\u2019d gotten a text from Don Lemon \u201csaying he\u2019d gotten a text from CPD saying they don\u2019t believe me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>objections, then a sidebar.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Megan Crepeau (@crepeau) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/crepeau\/status\/1467980853418643461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 6, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Crepeau noted that Smollett said he also had a private photo on the device as well as contact information for \u201cmy boss, everybody, my mom, my family, my siblings, there are extremely important activists in my phone, extremely important executives and actors and actresses and singers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Smollett also had private photos on his phone, plus contact info for \u201cmy boss, everybody, my mom, my family, my siblings, there are extremely important activists in my phone, extremely important executives and actors and actresses and singers.\u201d So he didn\u2019t want to turn it over.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Megan Crepeau (@crepeau) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/crepeau\/status\/1467981538277081089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 6, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<p>It is unclear what the text message from Don Lemon allegedly said.<\/p>\n<p>In 2019, Lemon said that as a fellow gay black man he texted the actor \u201cevery day,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/tv\/2019\/02\/11\/red-table-don-lemon-jussie-smollett-jada-pinkett-smith\/2837561002\/\">reported<\/a> USA Today:<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>\u201cEvery day I say, \u2018I know you think I\u2019m annoying\u2019&nbsp;\u2013 I can show you a text&nbsp;\u2013 \u2018I know you think I\u2019m annoying you, but I just want to know that you\u2019re OK, and if you need somebody you can talk to me, \u2019cause there\u2019s not a lot of us out there,\u2019 \u201d Lemon recalled. \u201cSometimes he responds; sometimes he doesn\u2019t. He responds and says, \u2018You are not annoying.\u2019 \u201c<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>When asked if he was afraid following the act of violence, Lemon said he had been living with angst.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>\u201cI\u2019ve had fear recently\u2026&nbsp;because of the political environment,\u201d he said. \u201cI get death threats\u2026 I have security, all of these things that happened. Listen, we\u2019ve always been divided ideologically, but there\u2019s something different going on now.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>The trial is ongoing and additional reporting will follow<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\">member<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former \u201cEmpire\u201d star Jussie Smollett testified Monday that he did not immediately hand over his cell phone to authorities partly because CNN\u2019s Don Lemon texted him saying that the Chicago police did not believe his claims that two men attacked him and hurled racial and homophobic epithets at the gay black actor.Earlier on Monday, Smollett gave the court details about his sex life and drug habits with his alleged attackers, claimed there was no \u201choax,\u201d and said that he did not practice any attack but that he was driving around smoking a blunt shortly before the supposed assault by two African brothers occurred.The Daily Wire reported Monday that despite Smollett\u2019s claims of being attacked, police investigated his allegations and suspected he was lying.Brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo are accused by Smollett of attacking him on a January 2019 night as part of an alleged hate crime. Smollett claims the brothers targeted the celebrity because he was gay and black. Smollett has maintained he was attacked by the two brothers walking home from the sandwich shop Subway, where they assaulted him and hung a noose around his neck chanting, \u201cThis is MAGA country.\u201dAs law enforcement investigated Smollett\u2019s allegations, Chicago authorities suspected that he staged the entire ordeal as part of a hate crime hoax. As a result, Smollett is now being charged with felony disorderly conduct and filing a false police report.On Monday, Smollett decided to take the stand to clear his name.Earlier, The Daily Wire reported that \u201cChicago Police detectives said that Smollett appeared to be frustrated when he learned that the camera had been pointed in the wrong direction to pick up the attack, and initially refused to turn over his phone to law enforcement.\u201dIn testimony, Smollett partly clarified why he did not initially give over his phone by stating that \u201che declined to give his phone to CPD in part because earlier he\u2019d gotten a text from Don Lemon \u2018saying he\u2019d gotten a text from CPD saying they don\u2019t believe me,\u2019\u201d according to Chicago Tribune Reporter Megan Crepeau.He also says he declined to give his phone to CPD in part because earlier he\u2019d gotten a text from Don Lemon \u201csaying he\u2019d gotten a text from CPD saying they don\u2019t believe me.\u201dobjections, then a sidebar.\u2014 Megan Crepeau (@crepeau) December 6, 2021Crepeau noted that Smollett said he also had a private photo on the device as well as contact information for \u201cmy boss, everybody, my mom, my family, my siblings, there are extremely important activists in my phone, extremely important executives and actors and actresses and singers.\u201dSmollett also had private photos on his phone, plus contact info for \u201cmy boss, everybody, my mom, my family, my siblings, there are extremely important activists in my phone, extremely important executives and actors and actresses and singers.\u201d So he didn\u2019t want to turn it over.\u2014 Megan Crepeau (@crepeau) December 6, 2021It is unclear what the text message from Don Lemon allegedly said.In 2019, Lemon said that as a fellow gay black man he texted the actor \u201cevery day,\u201d reported USA Today:\u201cEvery day I say, \u2018I know you think I\u2019m annoying\u2019\u00a0\u2013 I can show you a text\u00a0\u2013 \u2018I know you think I\u2019m annoying you, but I just want to know that you\u2019re OK, and if you need somebody you can talk to me, \u2019cause there\u2019s not a lot of us out there,\u2019 \u201d Lemon recalled. \u201cSometimes he responds; sometimes he doesn\u2019t. He responds and says, \u2018You are not annoying.\u2019 \u201cWhen asked if he was afraid following the act of violence, Lemon said he had been living with angst.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve had fear recently\u2026\u00a0because of the political environment,\u201d he said. \u201cI get death threats\u2026 I have security, all of these things that happened. Listen, we\u2019ve always been divided ideologically, but there\u2019s something different going on now.\u201dThe trial is ongoing and additional reporting will follow.The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1091345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1091345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1091345"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1091345\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1091345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1091345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1091345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}