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Jussie Smollett
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'Empire' To End Early With Episode 18 Due to Coronavirus
One day after Jussie Smollett was arrested for allegedly lying to authorities, Fox drama Empire has removed him from the final two episodes of its fifth season. Empire bosses released a statement Friday announcing the decision, which they hope will “avoid further disruption” on the series’ Chicago set. Smollett has been charged with disorderly conduct and filing a false police report in connection with a January 29 attack that authorities believe was staged by the actor to resolve a pay dispute.
According to Variety, the official statement reads:
“The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us. Jussie has been an important member of our Empire family for the past five years and we care about him deeply. While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of ‘Jamal’ from the final two episodes of the season.”
The statement was shared by Empire executive producers Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo, and Dennie Hammer.
On Thursday, 20th Century Fox and Fox Entertainment released a joint statement regarding Smollett’s arrest. “We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process,” they said at the time. “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.” The network has not said whether Smollett will return to Empire for Season 6, should it be renewed.
Following his arrest, the Chicago Police Department stated that they believe Smollett staged the attack with two Nigerian brothers, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundario, because he was “dissatisfied” with his salary. Smollett’s attorneys have denied the claim and maintained the actor’s innocence. “Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked,” said a Wednesday statement from his legal team. “Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”
