Trial of Jussie Smollett, accused of plotting hoax attack, begins in Chicago

• US actor says he was victim of racist and homophobic attack
• Two brothers say Smollett paid them to pose as his attackers

Two brothers stand at the center of the case that prosecutors will lay before jurors when the trial of Jussie Smollett begins with jury selection on Monday.

The former Empire actor contends he was the victim of a racist and homophobic assault in downtown Chicago on a cold night in January 2019.