If you’ll remember, according to TMZ, this is what supposedly happened,

“Empire” star Jussie Smollett was brutally attacked by 2 men who beat him up, put his head in a noose and screamed, “This is MAGA country.”

Sources directly connected to Jussie tell TMZ, the actor arrived in Chicago from New York late Monday, and at around 2 AM he was hungry and went to a Subway. We’re told when shortly after he walked out on his way home, someone yelled, “Aren’t you that f***ot ‘Empire’ n*****?”

The 2 men – both white and wearing ski masks — viciously attacked Jussie as he fought back, but they beat him badly and fractured a rib. They put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him and as they left they yelled, “This is MAGA country.”

There has been so much that just didn’t add up with his story. Now it’s been discovered that two brothers from Nigeria were paid by Smollett to fake the attack.

Western Journal reports,

WBBM reported Saturday night, citing anonymous sources familiar with the investigation, that the two brothers who were questioned by police in connection with the incident may have rehearsed the attack with Smollett days prior.

The brothers “were paid $3,500 before leaving for Nigeria and were promised an additional $500 upon their return,” WBBM wrote, citing those anonymous sources.

The sources also claimed Smollett asked one of the brothers to buy the rope used in the attack and even paid for it himself. The rope reportedly came from a hardware store in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Chicago.

“Sources said one of the brothers held the rope and poured bleach while the other wore a plain red hat and yelled slurs at Smollett,” WBBM reported. “The sources say the red hat was bought at an Uptown beauty supply store and that the attack was supposed to happen before Jan. 29.”

The brothers have admitted to detectives that they were hired to set up the attack. This admission came after the brothers were told that they had evidence proving they bought the rope found around Smollett’s neck after the attack.

This is all unraveling so quickly, it’s hard to keep up. Making a false report like this is actually a Class 4 felony and punishable by up to 3 years in prison.

Photo Credit: YouTube/ABC News