When Jussie Smollett was accused of staging a racially charged and homophobic attack against himself in Chicago, his coveted spot on Empire starring as Jamal Lyon was cut short after the show's creator Lee Daniels made it clear that despite reports, he would not be returning. "Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire," he stated. While the show carried on as usual, it now looks as though the network is considering bringing Jussie back as they think it's the best thing to do considering the sixth and final season is coming up and the story should end cohesively.
Showrunner Brett Mahoney told TVLine that the move to bring Jussie back may become a reality. “It would be weird in my mind to end this family show and this family drama of which he was such a significant part of without seeing him,” he told the publication. “It’s fair to say it’s being discussed, but there’s no plan as of yet to bring him back. There’s been no decision made.”
Jussie departed at the last two episodes of season five when the show made it seem as though he went on a honeymoon with his husband Kai and afterwards they decided to relocate to London. Despite the allegations against Jussie, his cast mates very much miss him. "It hurts. It's like losing a son, but it's nice not having all of the media circus around regarding all of the things that took place," he said.