Smollett - 'funny' phrasing in GMA interview?

I think that how someone phrases something can tell you a lot. Especially the way they refer to a supposedly upsetting thing like a beating. I find the phrasing Smollett used in the GMA interview with Robin Roberts very curious:

quote:

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Smollett stated that one of the attackers shouted "this is MAGA country" before punching him in the face. But he refuted reports that said he told police the attackers wore "Make America Great Again" hats.

"I never said that," he told ABC's Robin Roberts. "I didn't need to add anything like that. They called me a f****t, they called me a n****r. There's no which way you cut it. I don't need some MAGA hat as the cherry on some racist sundae."

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"I didn't need to add anything like that." hmmmm - why would you say "add" something that never happened? Because you "added" other things? Let's turn it around. Let's say that I (a white male) was attacked on a dark street in Chicago, by two guys with hooded sweatshirts, gloves, and I could not identify them. But they did call me "whitey". So I report the attack, and describe the hooded sweatshirts. A news report comes out and claims I said they wore "Black Lives Matter" sweatshirts. What would I say?

I'd say "No, I didn't say that, I didn't see that, that report is false".

Why would I ever say "No, I didn't need to add that?", it makes no sense to say that. You report what you saw, you don't add or subtract anything if you want to help catch the bad guys. Unless I was making up a story, and decided not to "add" that to the story.


And then, "I don't need some MAGA hat as the cherry on some racist sundae." --- hmmmm, again. A sundae? You would just say "No, they weren't wearing MAGA hats (or BLM shirts)". Referring to it as a sundae makes it sound like a dish (story) being served up, and you decide what toppings you want.

Am I right? These just aren't the words a victim would use. It just does not sound right. The whole things was extremely questionable from the start, but I do like to give as much benefit of doubt as I can, and let the thing unwind on its own (as this is doing). But that phrasing just jumps out at me.

What a surprise (that's sarcasm for the Sheldons out there) that Robin Roberts never questioned anything, just offered sympathy.