Jussie Smollett will not be returning to Empire

Jun 07, 2019 06:00 am

LOS ANGELES : Jussie Smollett will not be returning to Empire, the show's creator says, marking the first public confirmation that the actor has been dropped after a furore over claims that he was the victim of a hate crime.

Responding to a Variety report that the writers were discussing scenarios in which Smollett's character would return towards the end of the sixth and final season, Empire creator Lee Daniels wrote on Twitter on Tuesday: "Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire."

Smollett, 36, who is black and gay, ignited a firestorm by telling police in January that two apparent supporters of US President Donald Trump struck him, put a noose around his neck and poured bleach over him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs on a Chicago street.

Chicago police later accused Smollett of making up the attack but the actor maintained his innocence and prosecutors in March dismissed criminal charges against him.

Smollett, who played gay singer-songwriter Jamal Lyon on the show about a family in the hip-hop entertainment business, was dropped from the final episodes of Season 5 earlier this year.

The Fox network, now owned by Walt Disney, said in April that there were no plans to bring his character back for Season 6 but left open a contractual option for Smollett to return. - REUTERS