Jussie Smollett tells prosecutors that reading the ‘n-word’ aloud in court from his own messages is offensive

Special Prosecutor Dan Webb was trying to prove that Smollett had staged a "dry run" with the Osundario brothers, who were then accused of attacking Smollett.

Webb read from Instragram direct messages between Smollett and Bola Osundario, in which the two coordinated Smollett's location, presumably for the allegedly planned attack against Smollett on a Chicago street.

The messages contained the "n-word," and Webb read it aloud. Smollett interrupted him, asking him to not say it fully, but to abbreviate or spell it out. Smollett's reasoning was to not cause offense to "every African American in this room."

Smollett is black, as are his alleged attackers, the Osundario brothers. They were likely not offended by the messages they wrote back-and-forth to each other.

Fox News reports that Osundario "kept updating Bola on his whereabouts and flight delay information on the night of the attack, making the case that he was working with him to time out the planned attack."

Smollett later claimed that he had been victim to a homophobic, racist attack by Trump supporters in MAGA hats.

Webb cross-examined Smollett on the details of the story, Fox reports, trying to show that the attack was coordinated and paid for by Smollett in order for him to then claim that he had been the victim of a hate crime.

Smollett claimed that the Osundario brothers, who he met while working on the set of "Empire," were liars. Smollett has claimed there was "no hoax."