Empire took a major turn last season when the show's producers were forced to write one of the most popular characters out of a couple of episodes. Actor Jussie Smollett was supposedly the victim of a homophobic hate crime but after the Chicago Police Department investigated the matter, they determined that the attack was staged. Smollett had paid two brothers to carry out an elaborate stunt in hopes to negotiate his episodic salary. Unfortunately for Jussie, that's not entirely how salary negotiations are supposed to be handled. There have been rumblings that the actor could return for the next season of Empire but after some speculation, Lee Daniels has officially put those rumours to rest.
After Variety claimed that there was a chance Smollett could return to television as part of the series, Lee Daniels, co-creator of the show, has confirmed that the actor will not be back. The filmmaker broke the news in a tweet to the publication, responding to a report that writers on the show were preparing for Smollett's return. "This is not factual," said Daniels. "Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire."
With even more information being released regarding Smollett's case this week, we can't blame Lee Daniels and Empire for deciding to part ways with the actor. This will surely remain as one of the craziest stories of the entire year.