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The former empire actor jesse smollett taking the stand tonight to defend himself in his own trial. his testimony focusing on his relationship with the brothers, the two men prosecutors say smollett paid to attack him. cnn's omar jimenez is joining us live from chicago. he's been covering the trial for us. omar, what are you learning about smollett's relationship with these two brothers? >> reporter: well, wolf, his relationship with the two brothers, one of them he called creepy. a person he said he had been friends with for some time. he said that grew into a sexual relationship at points, w...

Indication that the victims were specifically targeted. the defense in ghislaine maxwell's sex trafficking trial trying to discredit a key accuser on cross-examination. the woman identified only as jane testified that maxwell helped jeffrey epstein sexually abuse her for years. the maxwell defense lawyer crossed her on statements she gave authorities she wasn't sure maxwell ever touched her. he wanted me to fake beat him up. that testimony coming from one of the two men prosecutors claim helped former empire star jussie smollett stage a hate crime against himself. he told the court he went...

Guilty, we appeal. there is no, let's all cry and hold hands and be sad. dad is in jail. no. we are going to appeal. >> it is easier to cope that way. >> yes. >> at first, there is shock. then it is like, are you just angry. are you angry that they didn't -- you don't feel they got the truth. >> in the end, frank howard's appeals were denied. the case was far from over. remember the michaels, the two men prosecutors say actually carried out the attack on nancy? in 2015, billy earl's nephew, turned on his former cell mate, michael lawrence in return for a reduced sentence, that michael lawrence...

>> not guilty. >> reporter: hernandez is facing wrongful death suits from the families of the three men prosecutors say aaron hernandez murdered. in july of last year a judge in one of the civil cases freezes $5 million in assets of the former football player which includes $3.3 million he says he's owed by the new england patriots as a signing bonus. another legal battle for hernandez. alexander bradley says he lost his eye after his friend hernandez shot him in the face following an argument at a florida strip club in february 2013. he is suing hernandez in federal court. bradley turns out i...

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