In a federal court ruling that tied up loose ends in a convoluted legal drama, U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland sided with former Jussie Smollett attorney Tina Glandian, dismissing a defamation lawsuit brought against her by the Osundairo brothers. As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, the judge found that Glandian, part of the Geragos & Geragos law firm, merely described the brothers’ actions during public remarks made in March 2019, and that "Plaintiffs are essentially attempting to hold Glandian liable for discussing their own admitted conduct."
The Osundairo brothers had claimed in the 2019 lawsuit that false statements made by Glandian on national media platforms had caused them substantial emotional distress and alienation within their community. The brothers were involved in what they say was a paid reenactment of a hate crime with actor Jussie Smollett. Smollett's legal battles have seen charges against him vacillate from being dropped, reinstated, and leading to a conviction, only to eventually be overturned by the Illinois Supreme Court. During this legal back and forth, Glandian had, to allegedly protect her client's interest, suggested on the "Today" show that the brothers might have worn "whiteface," referencing a YouTube video wherein one brother donned white makeup to perform a Joker monologue, according to a Courthouse News report.
In the complexity of these events, Judge Rowland's recent ruling reinforces her previous decisions, which had already dismissed several claims. Rowland emphasized that Glandian did not intend to accuse the plaintiffs of committing a crime with her comments about white makeup, stating, "Glandian did not intend to accuse Plaintiffs of committing a crime, and she did not view her statements as an accusation of committing a crime." Rowland found Glandian's statements to be substantially true, dismissing the brothers' claim about the white makeup specifically because one brother did admit to trying to appear as a white person during the staged incident.
The court’s decision has left the Osundairo brothers evaluating their next course of action. The brothers had not yet decided if they planned to appeal Rowland's order, as per Courthouse News.
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