On a recent episode of Face the Truth, host Vivica A. Fox and the Truth Team discuss the alleged attack on Jussie Smollett.
They are joined by body language expert Tonya Reiman, who examines Jussie’s recent ABC News interview with Robin Roberts and points out potential signs of uncertainty/insecurity in his answers.
• Not holding eye contact – “typically when you are remembering a story what you would do instead of looking side to side is look up to visualize that story” Reiman explains.
• Shrugging shoulders – A shoulder shrug can be an indicator of uncertainty and anxiety, and Jussie also made this shrug with his mouth in the interview. Says Reiman “he was telling us not only with his shoulders but with his mouth that he is not certain”
• Crying at the end of the story – “he cried at a moment where the story had already been told…when someone is telling you about the most dramatic part of the story that’s typically when they emote.”
One must first note an individual’s baseline behavior and then look for deviations from that norm, she says, and while you can never be 100% sure when someone is lying, clusters of behaviors can indicate deception. “He, in my opinion, might have suffered through something, I don’t think he suffered through the story he gave us.” Reiman summarizes. “There were too many red flags for me to think this story was 100% accurate.”
Vivica, who starred with Jussie on “Empire,” weighs in:
“I’ve known Jussie since he was a little boy…when this story came out I was absolutely shocked, saddened, horrified by it. What I do hope, is that when all the evidence and everything comes out that we get closure. I want to support him. I absolutely adore him. I’ve never known him to be a deceptive person, so my prayers are with his family but more than anything else I just want the truth to come out to what really did happen and why.”
