Jussie Smollett is Definitely Not Coming Back to 'Empire'
by EG
Although it's been assumed that Jussie Smollett would not return for the final season of Empire, there had been no official word that that was the case. This week, series co-creator Lee Daniels spoke up and put the speculation to rest. Read on for details.
Empire co-creator Lee Daniels, who has never explicitly said that Jussie Smollett won't return to the Fox series, tweeted Tuesday that the actor won't reprise his role.
His tweet, posted in response to a report that stated that Empire writers were preparing for his return on the show's sixth and final season, read, "This is not factual. Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire."
In March, Daniels posted an emotional video on social media in which he spoke about the "pain and anger" he has felt since Smollett was accused of a hate crime in January. Following the alleged hate crime hoax and subsequent arrest in Chicago, the actor did not appear on the show's final two episodes of the fifth season.
Despite all 16 felony charges being dropped against Smollett and his record being wiped clean, his fate on the show has been unclear. Since last week's release of court records from Chicago's Cook County office, the case has raised further questions concerning how the proceedings were handled.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Do you think Jussie should return to Empire? Let us know in the comments below.