Lionsgate Sound will launch its first companion podcast with a six-part podcast series in connection to Fox Nation’s “Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax,” TheWrap can exclusively reveal.
“Attacking Jussie,” which launches March 13 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, will feature exclusive interviews with Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundairo, the brothers hired by the former “Empire” actor to attack and stage a hate crime against him as they share their point of view for the first time in both the series and the podcast.
Hosted by Lionsgate Sound’s Charlie Webster, who also executive produces the podcast, the brothers will elaborate on the planning that went behind the hoax as the docuseries breaks down Smollett’s multi-step plans for faking the hate crime that generated outrage from the masses and public expressions of support prominent political figures, including Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden.
“As we began putting together the TV documentary, ‘Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax,’ it quickly became apparent that there was an opportunity to dig even deeper into this fascinating story through an extended first-hand account from the Osundairo brothers,” CEO of Pilgrim Media Group Craig Piligian said in a statement. “‘Attacking Jussie,’ Lionsgate Sounds’ first companion podcast, shines a light on the complex relationship between Smollett and the Osundairo brothers and the surprising public response to the brothers in the wake of the hoax.”
The podcast series, which will drop in full as the five-part docuseries premieres, marks the company’s first companion podcast to a TV series.
The podcast hails from Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group, which developed and produced the series. The series was executive produced by Craig Piligian, Gloria Rodriquez, Nicholas Caprio, Scott Eldridge and Nicole Rittenmeyer, who also serves as director.
“Attacking Jussie” launches Monday, March 13 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and any other platform where podcast are found and “Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax” premieres March 13 on Fox Nation.
