Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Special Forces: World's Toughest Test episode "Warzone." Stream the episode with a Hulu subscription and read at your own risk!

Special Forces: World's Toughest Test lost another celebrity in Episode 4, and it was the most headline-grabbing celebrity of the bunch. I'm not sure many expected Jussie Smollett to be a part of the 2025 TV schedule, let alone returning to the Fox network. His run came to an end, however, and I was surprised by how emotional his exit was.

Smollett's controversial past made him a subject of interest in the series, and I'm sure many viewers were curious to see if he'd stick it out or leave the show like so many other participants have in previous seasons. With so few actually completing the program, there were better odds than not that he would leave, but that didn't make it sting any less for the former Empire star.

Jussie Smollett Was Medically Disqualified

After the simulated city challenge, Jussie Smollett was coughing on the car ride back to base camp. Later, while in the barracks, his coughing became more phlegmy, and it was clear that the more he coughed, the more pain he had. He ended up going to talk to the medic, who quickly went to the staff after evaluating him.

The staff all convened in the room with the medic, and informed Smollett that some allergy from the desert sand had given him some pretty serious lung inflammation. As such, his time on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test was done, and he was medically withdrawn without being given the option to continue.

The Actor Had A Breakdown Shortly After Having His Armband Taken

It might be because we've seen a couple of weak eliminations in Season 4 of Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, but there was something especially sad about seeing Jussie Smollett break down in the medic room at the end of the episode. Regardless of what viewers may think about his past, he came on this show to prove something to himself and try to move ahead. To see that crumble on television was tough, but that's the true reality in this show.

Just like we saw with Eva Marcille's elimination, Special Forces: World's Toughest Test can break you down. It's what makes the show so compelling, but man, can it be really sad at the same time.

All that to say, I hope Jussie Smollett is proud of what he accomplished on the Fox series, and that he's able to continue moving forward and finding peace in life. As for the rest of the contestants, I just hope we can get through this season without any more medical withdrawals, because that is always the worst way to leave this show.

Special Forces: World's Toughest Test airs on Fox on Thursdays at 9:02 p.m. ET. I'm curious what challenges lie ahead for the remaining contestants, and who will be next to hand in their armband as the trials increase in intensity.

Jussie Smollett made a name for himself while starring on Fox’s Empire, but most of the buzz by the end of his time on the music drama had nothing to do with his performances as Jamal Lyon. The actor was at the center of a scandal in 2019 when he was reportedly attacked in Chicago, only to then be arrested on charges of filing a false police report, was cut from the cast of Empire, eventually found guilty in court, and then walked out of jail after serving just days of his sentence.

Now, The Truth About Jussie Smollett? documentary has premiered in the 2025 Netflix schedule, while the actor is just over a month away from his return to Fox in the 2025 TV schedule for the first time since Empire. Let's start with his first big comeback of 2025: the Netflix documentary.

How Netflix Is Hyping The Truth About Jussie Smollett?

The Truth About Jussie Smollett? is a documentary currently available with a Netflix subscription, clocking in at just under 90 minutes. Categorized in the genres of “Documentary Films,” “Historical Documentaries,” and “True Crime Documentaries,” the project features interviews with Jussie Smollett himself, as well as police, lawyers, journalists, and investigators who have claimed to find new evidence about the alleged 2019 attack. Billed as the “shocking true story of an allegedly fake story that some now say might just be a true story,” Netflix hyped the documentary on social media upon release. Take a look:

Subscribers will have to check out the documentary to see just how candid Smollett was during his interviews, and to discover if there’s a reason behind the doc having a question mark in the title. The project comes from RAW, the production company behind the unexpectedly popular Don’t F**k with Cats and the controversial Tinder Swindler for the streamer.

At the time of writing, the actor has not publicly commented or promoted The Truth About Jussie Smollett? on social media, and I’m curious to learn if there will be elements of the finished product that he hates, as was the case for Martha Stewart and her Netflix documentary. And that’s not all I’m curious about.

Jussie Smollett’s Upcoming Reality TV Return To Fox

Jussie Smollett is soon making his return to Fox for the first time since he was cut from Empire in 2019. He won’t be back in the scripted sphere, however, but rather part of the cast of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 4. As one of the celebrity recruits, Smollett will attempt to tackle and endure training exercises led by an elite team of ex-special forces operatives. That’s no small task, if we go by earlier seasons of the reality show.

Season 1 contestant Kate Gosselin had to be medically evacuated with a suspected broken neck, for one. (Fortunately, her injuries were not quite that severe upon evaluation.) Dr. Drew Pinsky was another celebrity contestant who had to be medically withdrawn, with heat exhaustion getting the better of him. The final challenge of the first season was downright brutal, both mentally and physically. On Instagram, Smollett seemed to approach his choice to go on the show with a sense of humor. He posted this [edited for clarity]:

Season 4 will be set in Morocco, pitting contestants against the extreme challenges of urban warfare. For the first time in Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test history, some of the eighteen recruits will arrive paired with a spouse or family member, but compete as individuals. Challenges will include training in desert terrain, a rat-run through dark and narrow tunnels, an urban ladder crossing between buildings 50 feet above city streets, and more.

So, why am I curious about Jussie Smollett as part of the cast? Aside from the controversy and how he exited from Empire as the most obvious factors, I’m wondering if the timing of the release of his Netflix documentary just weeks before the Special Forces premiere will affect whether or not viewers will root for him. Plus, he filmed Special Forces well before the August 22 release of the documentary, so how he conducts himself on the reality series won’t be affected by however the public reacts to his doc.

The other Season 4 contestants include Kody Brown, Brittany Cartwright, Randall Cobb, Eric Decker, Jessie James Decker, Andrew East, Shawn Johnson East, Mark Estes, Gia Giudice, Teresa Giudice, Chanel Iman, Brianna LaPaglia, Johnny Manziel, Eva Marcille, Ravi V. Patel, Christie Pearce Rampone, and Nick Young. Tune in to Fox on Thursday, September 25 at 9 p.m. ET to catch the first episode.

Lee Daniels has built a career on telling stories built around Black communities, from Precious to The Butler to the game-changing TV drama Empire, and his latest feature effort The Deliverance perhaps surprisingly shares a spot on both the slate of upcoming horror movies and upcoming Netflix movies. You won’t see former Jamal Lyon portrayer Jussie Smollett amongst those cast members, but the Oscar-nominated director would apparently be open to working with the controversial actor again.

Daniels popped by the Breakfast Club radio show to promote his new movie with Charlamagne tha God and Jess Hilarious, and when asked what their relationship is like now, five years after Smollet’s hate crime claims were revealed to be fabricated, leading to his arrest for filing false charges. Rather than dodging the question, the director shared his honest thoughts about the situation, saying:

Jussie Smollett made waves as a young actor with The Mighty Ducks and the sitcom On Our Own, but it was Lee Daniels and Empire that helped turn him into a star celebrity with a burgeoning music career. Of course, much of that success was thrown out the window in the wake of Smollett’s arrest and ensuing legal issues, with Jamal being fired from Empire at the tail end of its fifth season.

When asked if he would consider working with Smollett again, Lee Daniels was certainly open to the idea, to the point that he would make that casting decision himself. As he put it:

While Charlamagne tha God didn’t talk too much about his own opinions of Smollett in the moment, the host pointed out that his questions to the filmmaker were more about Hollywood rarely giving scandalized Black actors a second chance when compared to white actors. He and Jess gave Daniels props for being an inspiration to others in that way.

At the moment, Smollett isn’t exactly in hiding or anything. He returned to a subdued spotlight in 2022 with his directorial debut B-Boy Blues, which he also wrote, and and promoted at the BET Awards while talking about attempting a comeback.

Smollet’s latest project, which he directed and co-wrote with Jerrell Chesney, is the drama The Lost Holliday. He got back in front of the camera for this one, as he co-stars opposite fellow Empire vet Vivica A. Fox. It’s set to hit the 2024 movie schedule in a limited capacity on September 27.

Meanwhile, Lee Daniels’ The Deliverance is in its own limited run, and will be available to stream with a Netflix subscription on Thursday, August 30.

Fox’s hit musical drama, Empire, did a lot to cement the careers of stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, but it also brought several new or lesser known talents to the forefront of Hollywood and pop culture. This was the case for Jussie Smollett, who played middle son Jamal Lyon on the series. But, his rise to fame was cut short after Smollett was suspected of lying to police about being the victim of a hate crime in Chicago. He was eventually found guilty of those charges, but after Smollett was released from jail on a suspended sentence pending his appeal, he opened up about trying to make a comeback while at the BET Awards. 

What Did Jussie Smollett Say About His Hollywood Comeback?

This June 26 saw some of Hollywood’s best and brightest step out for the BET Awards, and this included Empire’s Jussie Smollett. The actor and musician was present after his feature directorial debut, B-Boy Blues, premiered on BET+ earlier in the month. While talking with Entertainment Tonight before the event, Smollett was asked about “working your way back into Hollywood,” and said:

The actor was able to direct his movie while still embroiled in legal trouble over his reported hate crime. In late January of 2019, Smollett alleged that he was attacked by two men on the street as he was walking to get food at 2 a.m., saying they punched him in the face, wrapped a noose around his neck, poured bleach on him, and yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him. While he quickly received support from a number of other celebrities (including those working with him on Empire, like Howard) and fans, it wasn’t long before Smollett spoke out about feeling like he was being treated as a criminal while police investigated.

Less than a month after Smollett reported the attack, he was charged by the Chicago Police Department for disorderly conduct due to filing a false report. Smollett maintained that he was innocent (and still does), and charges were dropped in late March of 2019 after the star forfeited his $10,000 bond payment and did community service. A few days later, however, the city of Chicago sued Smollett on six counts of disorderly conduct on suspicion of making false reports, with him being dropped from Empire in early June and then found guilty on five of those counts in late 2021.

Smollett had a number of fans, friends, family members, and co-stars like Taraji P. Henson who stepped up to support him while in the midst of his legal troubles, and he also had some lovely words when asked what he’d tell those who stuck by him, and said:

Jussie Smollett also noted that he has new music set to come along soon, as he awaits word on his appeal. He served six days of his 150-day sentence, but also had 30 months of probation, and had to pay a $25,000 fine, and restitution to the Chicago police of $120,106, so, hopefully, Smollett’s case will be able to come to a close before too much longer.

 Jussie Smollett, who was found guilty in December on five of six counts of felony disorderly conduct for falsely reporting a hate crime, is now out of jail. The former Empire actor served less than a week of his 150-day sentence before a judge suspended the sentence pending appeal. Smollett reportedly walked out of Cook County Jail in Chicago at 8 p.m. CT on March 16, surrounded by family, members of his defense team, and other supporters.

The former child actor was reportedly silent as he walked away from the facility, Deadline reported. Defense attorney Nenye Uche said Jussie Smollett drank only water and did not eat anything during the six days he was incarcerated. Jussie’s brother Jocqui Smollett previously posted on Instagram that Jussie was being held in the psych ward and was reported to be at risk of self-harm, despite the actor’s insistence at his sentencing that “I am not suicidal!”

On March 10, Smollett was sentenced to 30 months of probation, including 150 days in jail, restitution of $120,106 to pay for Chicago police officers’ overtime incurred while investigating the fake crime, and a fine of $25,000. Smollett was reportedly denied an appeal at the time of his sentencing.

His lawyers, however, were granted a stay of the sentence while an appeal is pending, with the Appellate Court judge saying that Jussie Smollett’s sentence would likely have already been served in full before his appeal got very far. Smollett’s past was also taken into account, in that the actor had never been convicted of a violent crime. Before his release Smollett was required to put up a $150,000 personal recognizance bond.

In January 2019, Jussie Smollett claimed two men attacked him in Chicago and placed a noose around his neck while shouting racist and homophobic slurs at him. A police investigation later led to questions about the validity of the attack and suggested that Smollett hired and paid two men to conduct the attack on him. Smollett was charged for making false reports but maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges. 

The brothers responsible for the attack, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, testified in court that Jussie Smollett paid them $100 for supplies and wrote an additional $3,500 check for the men to attack him while shouting the slurs. Smollett refuted those claims on the stand during the trial, alleging that the money was for a weight loss supplement that is illegal in the United States that Abimbola Osundairo could pick up on a trip to Nigeria. Smollett also alleged he met  Osundairo at a club in 2017 and that the two men had a sexual relationship for a time. 

Jussie Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the trial and has a number of supporters, including Jurnee Smollett, who posted on Instagram for Cook County Jail to #FreeJussie following her brother's sentencing. Jussie's former TV mom, Empire actress Taraji P. Henson, also spoke out, saying the punishment handed down last week didn't fit the crime.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on Jussie Smollett's legal case.

Jussie Smollett's trial is finally at an end, and it did not work out favorably for the former Empire star. The jury delivered a verdict for the charges that Smollett falsely reported a racist and homophobic hate crime in January of 2019 and found the actor guilty. 

Out of the six counts of disorderly conduct on suspicion of making false reports to police, CNN reported a jury found Jussie Smollett guilty on five counts. The actor was acquitted of the sixth charge, a felony count of disorderly conduct. Smollett will now be at the mercy of the judge's discretion for the Class Four felony, which is punishable by three years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Judge James Linn will have the option of sentencing Smollett to a concurrent or consecutive sentence for each count at a later time. 

The guilty verdict is the latest chapter in Jussie Smollett's story, which began back in early 2019 when the actor claimed two men attacked him in Chicago while shouting racist and homophobic slurs at him. An investigation by police later led to questions about the validity of the attack and even suggested that Smollett hired and paid the men to conduct the attack on him. Smollett was charged for making false reports but maintained his innocence and pled not guilty to all charges. 

The brothers responsible for the attack, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, testified in court that Jussie Smollett paid them $100 for supplies and wrote an additional $3,500 check for the men to attack him while shouting homophobic and racist slurs. Jussie Smollett took the stand during the trial to refute the claims and alleged that the money was for a weight loss supplement that is illegal in the United States that Abimbola Osundairo could pick up on a trip to Nigeria. Smollett also alleged he met  Osundairo at a club in 2017 and that the two men had a sexual relationship for a time. 

The jury's verdict indicates they didn't believe the story by Jussie Smollett, and rather the narrative of the Chicago police and Osundairo brothers that he arranged the attack possibly in an effort to garner sympathetic media coverage. 

Instead, the scandal completely derailed Jussie Smollett's acting career, which was on the rise at the time. Smollett, who appeared in The Mighty Ducks as a child, had found great success at that point with a starring role in the Fox drama Empire. The series initially stood by the actor when the controversy first started but ultimately decided to sever ties. 

The world can only wait and see if this is the end of Jussie Smollett's legal drama or if more will come as the actor prepares for sentencing and explores any other avenues he may have. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on the situation and other major headlines in movie and television news.  

Bryshere Gray, known best to television viewers as Hakeem Lyon on the Fox drama Empire, has formally entered a guilty plea in his domestic violence case. The actor was originally arrested last summer following a situation that involved a standoff with police and crisis negotiators. At the time, Gray was charged with misdemeanor assault (domestic violence), felony aggravated assault (strangulation) and misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Now, after the plea, the actor is heading to jail.

Bryshere Gray pled guilty to felony aggravated assault, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. As part of this plea agreement, Gray has been sentenced to 10 days in county jail and will serve three years of probation. The actor has also been ordered to pay restitution as a part of the deal. In addition, he’ll be required to enroll in a domestic violence offender treatment program.

The probation also comes with a few other stipulations, one of which is that Bryshere Gray will be prohibited from consuming illegal drugs. With this, he’ll have to submit for drug and alcohol testing. The actor is also prohibited from possessing any kind of firearm, and this even includes tasers and stun guns. Additionally, if Gray is ever contacted by law enforcement, he must check in with his probation officer within 72 hours. He must also have written permission from authorities before associating with anyone who has a criminal record.

Back in July 2020, the actor was taken into custody after police received a call to assist a woman. The woman in question was reported to be Bryshere Gray’s wife, who flagged down a bystander and alleged that her husband had assaulted her for hours at their home. At the time, police said Gray’s wife had numerous visible injuries on her body, and authorities claimed that the actor strangled his wife, causing her to temporarily lose consciousness during the incident. She was later taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for her injuries.

Bryshere Gray played Empire’s Hakeem Lyon during the show’s entire six-season run. The character was absent for portions of the final season though, at the time, producers assured fans that both Gray and his character were still key parts of the show. Aside from the Lee Daniels-created soap opera, Gray is likely best known for his portrayal of musician Michael Bivins in The New Edition Story.

This wouldn’t be the first time an Empire star has faced legal problems. Series breakout Jussie Smollett was involved in a 2019 incident that was investigated by police as a hate crime, but rumors later began to circulate that Smollett staged the incident and filed a false police report. Early last year, Smollett was indicted on six counts for allegedly making four false police reports. Amid the drama, the actor did not appear during the sixth and final season of Empire.

As of right now, it’s unclear as to how Bryshere Gray plans to continue within his acting career. But should he continue to do so, it’s likely that certain conditions would have to be put in place if or when he participates in a production.

Just about every major TV show has faced a negative impact from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with many series having to face the reality that their current seasons won't be allowed to continue. Not every show is feeling the same kinds of woes, however, and Fox's Empire is arguably in a far worse predicament than most others, considering this is the twisty drama's final season. Unfortunately, it was confirmed that Empire will indeed cut Season 6 short without having filmed its intended series finale.

The confirmation was made in a way that viewers may not have even fully grasped in the moment. Following Tuesday night's installment, the promo for the next episode, "We Got Us," kicked off by telling audiences to be prepared for "the shocking final three episodes" of Empire, even though there were originally five more that would have wrapped up the sixth season. However, Hollywood's gradual shutdown for the coronavirus pandemic came when the drama was still in the midst of shooting Episode 19, without any filming being done on what was previously meant to be the finale.

At this point, it's not completely confirmed how Empire will be handling what will now be its series finale, which is set to air on April 21. Episode 18 was the final episode that fully completed filming before the shutdown, and per Deadline, the producers will probably be adding in some of the finished footage from Episode 19. Here's hoping there's enough there for everything to make contextual sense without any problems. Because the Lyons have more than enough problems already.

Some spoilers below for the latest episode of Empire, "Love Me Still."

Empire's big wedding between Andre and Teri went off without a hitch on Tuesday night. Wait, no, that's the complete opposite of what actually happened, with Andre going all Kingsley on the venue after Teri made her exit following her talk with Cookie. It definitely seems like the show is going to push Andre right over the edge, but it remains to be seen how far he'll actually be able go without the official series finale in place.

As fans are well aware, Empire already had to shake up its sixth and final season thanks to all the legal issues surrounding former star Jussie Smollet, whose character Jamal was name-checked in the latest episode. He and Kai were said to be in Nairobi getting a new baby and finalizing the adoption process, but even though the character's story has continued progressing, viewers shouldn't expect to see Smollet back on screen at any point in the final episodes.

While there was a brief window when it looked like Jussie Smollet might still get a chance to return, it was confirmed various times since then that Empire will wrap up without him. That stance has been strengthened lately, with new indictments coming down in February, which the actor's legal team failed to get dismissed.

Of all the shows facing delays, Empire and Supernatural were the only series whose final seasons were disrupted by the coronavirus shutdowns. Supernatural showrunner Andrew Dabb had previously confirmed that the CW drama would officially wrap up its fifteenth year later in 2020 by filming the final two episodes and airing them with another five eps being held for that final run.

While Empire may be ending on Fox, there's always hope that the story will continue on in spinoff form, seeing as how no firm decisions have ever been announced regarding the proposed plan to give Taraji P. Henson's Cookie Lyon a prequel series. The flagship drama has been building the story between Cookie and Candace and other sisters recently, as it has in years past, perhaps with the goal of going deeper into that history with a follow-up series. Of course, Hollywood will need to start up again in order for that to ever happen anyway.

With three episodes left to go in its final season, Empire airs Wednesday nights on Fox at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Jussie Smollett started making headlines back in early 2019, but unfortunately not because of anything good happening with Empire on Fox. The actor, known for playing Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama, reported an attack on the streets of Chicago in January 2019 that was subsequently investigated as a hate crime. Then rumors began to circulate that Smollett had staged the attack, and he was ultimately arrested for filing a false police report. The case was dismissed in March 2019, but now the case is back and more dramatic than ever.

As of February 11, 2020, Jussie Smollett has been indicted on six counts for allegedly making four separate false reports to Chicago Police. The indictments come after an investigation by special prosecutor Dan Webb, who was appointed to conduct an independent investigation in August 2019 to determine if Smollett should be further prosecuted despite the March dismissal and if any involved in Smollett's case were guilty of wrongdoing.

In a statement explaining the reasons for the indictments, the office of special prosecutor Dan Webb said this (via NBC's 5 Chicago):

The statement from the special prosecutor's office elaborates on the factors that went into the renewed investigation into Jussie Smollett's claim from January 2019, including "the extensive nature" of Smollett's allegedly false police reports and "the resources expended by the Chicago Police Department to investigate these false reports." The office of the special prosecutor also stated that it determined there was insufficient "documentary evidence" for the original March 2019 dismissal.

What does this mean for Jussie Smollett? The actor hasn't personally commented on the indictments at the time of writing, but his lawyer addressed the charges. Attorney Tina Glandian released a statement (via People) that fired back at the special prosecutor's new case against Smollett.

Tina Glandian claimed that the indictments are "about politics" rather than justice due to the upcoming Cook County State's Attorney election, and noted that one of the grand jury witnesses is a detective currently being sued by Smollett for "his role in the initial prosecution."

The response from Jussie Smollett's lawyer addressed the implications of the indictments:

The defense of Jussie Smollett claims that there isn't "any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever related to the dismissal" of the original charges against him, so it looks like this case may not be going away any time soon. In fact, it could get even more dramatic!

At the very least, it may rule out Smollett making that rumored appearance on Empire before the final credits roll! After he was cut out of the final episodes of Season 5 due to the scandal, I'm not sure I can imagine Empire and Fox bringing Jamal back even to say goodbye, short of an unlikely recast.

Empire returns for its final run of episodes (with or without a surprise appearance from Jussie Smollett) on Tuesday, March 3 on Fox at 9 p.m. ET. You can see Smollett back in his Empire days with the first five seasons streaming on Hulu, and our 2020 winter and spring premiere schedule can point you toward some additional viewing options.

Earlier this year, Jussie Smollett’s offscreen scandal threatened to overshadow his work on Empire. After all was said and done, Empire execs decided it was best to part ways with the actor, writing Jamal out of the show completely and explaining that he was on sabbatical from his family. However, it looks like Empire might bring Smollett back as Jamal after all.

When it was being reported that Empire’s writers were already preparing for Jussie Smollett’s return in Season 6, Lee Daniels shut that down by tweeting that the actor would not be returning to the Fox drama. It seemed final. Now that the series is almost halfway through Season 6, Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney suggests that the decision to bring back Smollett isn’t completely off the table anymore. Here’s what he told TVLine regarding Jamal’s possible return:

Empire’s sixth and final season is fast approaching and Jamal has been a big part of the series from the beginning. So, it’s understandable that discussions about his return are at least being had. It would actually be more shocking if Season 6 wrapped without so much as a mention of Jamal.

Jussie Smollett was initially written out of the series following his controversial and high-profile arrest. Prior to that, Smollett alleged that he was attacked by two men wearing MAGA hats who used racial and homophobic slurs. Smollett was later charged with falsifying the attack, though the charges against him were dropped in March of this year.

Before Jussie Smollett was officially out at Empire, there had been no plans to write him off of the show. However, after the series was renewed for Season 6, it was clear that Smollett wasn’t coming back. It’s nice to see that this decision wasn’t set in stone and I’m sure Empire fans are more hopeful than ever that Jamal’s story could be wrapped up onscreen. The last he was seen, he’d just married Kai and gone off on his honeymoon.

Jussie Smollett wasn’t the only one who left the show, though. After the first few episodes of Season 6, fans took notice that Hakeem wasn’t around and Empire’s Brett Mahoney revealed that Hakeem left to fulfill his dreams of becoming an actor. However, the real story for the absence of Bryshere “Yazz” Gray, who played the character, was due to personal reasons and it’s unclear when he might be back on the show.

Empire’s fall finale airs tonight at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. As the year (and fall season) come to a close, be sure to check out our midseason schedule to find out what’s premiering in the winter and spring of 2020.

It’s hard to believe Empire is currently airing its sixth and final season on Fox. The show has already premiere with a pretty shocking opener, but despite the cliffhanger season premiere, the larger absence that may be felt is that of Jussie Smollett. Now, Terrence Howard is speaking out about his feelings related to the actor missing from the show.

While Terrence Howard did not address any of the allegations still being lobbied against the actor, he did say he personally has missed Jussie Smollett on the set of Empire during production so far in Season 6.

As for Terrence Howard, this isn’t the first time the actor has spoken out in support of Jussie Smollett. He’s mentioned previously he feels like Jussie Smollett is someone he’s “called my son” across the time they’ve spent working together on Empire and has said the Smollett he knows is not the one that has been portrayed in the media. Ultimately, however, Jussie Smollett is not expected to appear as Jamal in Season 6 of Empire as it says its final goodbyes to fans.

While not seemingly willing or wanting to wade into the personal life allegations that have been lobbied against Jussie Smollett by the Chicago Police Department, Terrence Howard did tell Extra’s Billy Bush that the actor has been missed during the filming of the current season of Empire. It’s probably a weird position to be in, to have a relationship with an actor who was unceremoniously dropped from the show following a series of allegations and reports.

Jussie Smollett was ultimately cut out of Season 6 of Empire after allegations hit following an attack and the idea he may have orchestrated a hate crime against himself. While the initial charges that the attack may have been a hoax were dropped, there’s still an ongoing separate investigation by the Cook County inspector general and the Chicago police are still trying to recoup $130,000 in costs related to that investigation.

None of this is remotely related to Empire or its final season, and Fox ultimately decided it wasn’t worth keeping Jussie Smollett on the air as all of this personal life stuff was going on. Show creator Lee Daniels confirmed the decision back in June. Then, Smollett's exit was explained ahead of the premiere, with Daniels noting his character Jamal will be “taking a sabbatical” away from the rest of the Lyon family.

Meanwhile, the Fox series has already moved on to a bigger focal point this season, possibly relating to the death of its patriarch. Empire currently airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. To take a look at when all of your other fall favorites are returning, check out CinemaBlend's full premiere schedule.

TV writers are no strangers to rewriting storylines or character arcs when something in real life affects a series’ season. Superstore wrote in America Ferrera’s pregnancy at the end of Season 3, while Friends added in Monica and Chandler’s struggle with infertility to echo Courteney Cox’s own experiences. Empire is now doing something similar with Jussie Smollett, who was written out of the show at the end of Season 5 following a controversial and high-profile arrest.

Jussie Smollett, who played Jamal Lyon on the successful Fox series, got tangled up with the law earlier this year when he stated that he’d been attacked by two men who used racial and homophobic slurs. Later, Smollett was arrested for allegedly fabricating the whole ordeal and lying to police about it, but the charges against him were finally dismissed in March. The case and the bad publicity he was getting didn’t bode well for his run on Empire, and in June it was confirmed that he would not return to the show.

In Season 5, Episode 16, “Never Doubt I Love,” Jamal finally married Kai and that was the last we saw of Jamal. So how will the show explain his absence? Empire showrunner Lee Daniels spoke with TVLine about how the series will handle Smollett’s departure and what lies ahead in terms of Jamal’s future.

Jamal and Kai will therefore stay in London. For what it’s worth, Jamal’s storyline at least ended on a happy note. Having spent five seasons being at odds with Lucious, played by Terrence Howard, Jamal struggled for a long time with his father’s disapproval, with Jamal’s sexual orientation being a major point of contention. Not only that, the Lyons family has always been in the public eye living a fairly dramatic life, so Jamal wanting a break from all of that makes sense within the scope of the story.

Prior to Jussie Smollett's departure, it seemed Fox and Lee Daniels were still open to keeping Smollett on Empire, and the actor was even signed on for the show’s sixth season. So it came as a bit of a surprise when the offer was rescinded and Smollett found himself out of a steady job.

The show must go on, however, and Empire recently cast Lethal Weapon actress Keesha Sharp in a recurring role. Sharp will play Paula Wick, a doctor with a lot of compassion, though no other details about her character have been confirmed.

Empire Season 6 will premiere Tuesday, September 24 on Fox at 9 p.m. ET. For all your TV needs, make sure to check our handy fall schedule.

Empire was a wild ride throughout its fifth season as it built to the reveal of which member of the Lyon family would wind up in a coffin. The question of the big death cliffhanger wasn't the only one lingering over the show, though, as Jussie Smollett's legal trouble raised the possibility that he would be axed from the show.

Now, Empire creator Lee Daniels (who had some interesting comments earlier) has seemingly delivered an answer, and it's not one that Jamal fans will be happy about. In response to a report that the writers were planning on keeping Jussie Smollett on board, Daniels posted this:

Lee Daniels' tweet didn't beat around the bush in debunking the claim that Jussie Smollett will be written into the upcoming sixth season of Empire. He could have simply stopped at stating that the report of his return is "not factual," which would have left room for interpretation that Smollett will be back but the writing process simply hasn't started yet. Instead, Daniels just went ahead and confirmed that Smollett won't be back.

The cast and crew of Empire were reportedly split over the Jussie Smollett controversy during Season 5. The whole mess started back in January, when Jussie Smollett came forward and claimed that he'd been attacked on the streets of Chicago, and the incident was investigated as a hate crime. There was an outpouring of public sympathy for Smollett, including from his Empire costar Taraji P. Henson.

Then, rumors began to circulate that Jussie Smollett had staged the attack, with some suggesting that it was for the purpose of winning a salary bump. In the early days, Empire had no plans to write Smollett out of the show, although his show scenes were cut and he was axed from the last two episodes of Season 5. When he was arrested in February, it began to feel unlikely that he could return for a sixth season.

New rumors began to spread that Empire was looking to recast Jamal, and that possibility has not yet been definitively debunked, so it's possible that Jamal could return from his honeymoon with a new face and set of pipes. A lot of changes are in store anyway considering how Season 5 ended Cookie and Lucious' stories.

The early confirmation that Jussie Smollett won't be back for Season 6 means fans will have a lot to speculate about over the rest of hiatus. Will Jamal be recast, or will he be gone? If he's gone, was he killed off, sent off for an off-screen happily-ever-after with Kai, or something else? How will the Lyon family be different?

Find out when Empire returns in the 2019-2020 TV season on Fox. For now, you can find new TV options on our summer TV premiere schedule.

Nearly two months after the night when Jussie Smollett was allegedly attacked in Chicago, that case is still providing big and shocking headlines. Just this week, the office of State Attorney Kim Foxx announced that all charges against Smollett were being dropped, making the actor a free man once again. Many people in Hollywood reacted strongly to the news, and it's being reported that Empire's cast and crew are largely split in their opinions about Smollett's current situation.

While some of Jussie Smollett's Empire co-stars took to social media to celebrate the charges being dropped against him, others on the show are allegedly still dissenting attitudes about how things have played out. According to TMZ's production sources, several people working on the Empire set do not believe that the sudden lack of charges against Smollett works as proof of his innocence in the matter, and they're more than a little surprised by the diminished outcome.

These Empire workers, whose identities and duties were kept anonymous, are said to be quite offended by the notion that Jussie Smollett allegedly faked his own attack due to a lack of happiness with his TV salary. They reportedly feel as if the actor is now a liability for the show, and that Empire showrunner Lee Daniels should get rid of him altogether if Fox should order Season 6 for the fall. (That renewal may not happen if the ratings keep going south.)

On the flip side, it's stated that others on staff – "especially writers," per the report – do indeed feel like the dropped charges are indicative of Jussie Smollett being the true victim in the case overall. Several cast members are just happy that Smollett's legal woes are getting lighter, believing that the continued controversy put the show's renewal chances in jeopardy at Fox.

Empire star Taraji P. Henson went public with her happiness about Smollett's news, saying that she didn't believe any headlines about his guilt, because she knows him as a person. Here's how she put it to USA Today.

Outside of Empire and its own array of scandals, certain officials within the city of Chicago have been majorly critical of the decision to drop the charges. Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson went so far as to say "it was Smollett who committed this hoax," as he was calling out the case's prosecutors for not alerting the police about their dismissal plans. As well, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanual said that the most recent events were "not on the level," and he went so far as to call the decision a "whitewash of justice."

Joseph Magats, who is First Assistant to the Cook County State Attorney, went on record defending the decision by saying the charges were dropped partly because Chicago already has to use up many resources just dealing with the city's violence problem. Since Jussie Smollett had no previous history with violence, and because the charges against him were not of a violent nature, Magats stated he decided moving forward with prosecuting Smollett wouldn't have been optimal for the department.

To be clear, Magats also stated that he fully believes that Jussie Smollett is guilty of perpetrating a hoax and lying to the police. And the case definitely isn't over yet, regardless of these charges getting dropped. There's still an ongoing FBI investigation looking into the letter that was addressed to Jussie and sent to Fox Studios in Chicago.

Though brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo were initially suspected to have sent the hateful letter in a threatening manner, some officials believe that Smollett himself is responsible for mailing it. If it's determined the actor did send it, he could again be facing criminal charges in court.

While there's still no word on what Jussie Smollett's future will be on Fox's Empire, the hit drama continues to air on Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET. Remember when the biggest headlines Empire was making had to do with the mystery body in the casket?

Empire spent a big chunk of its winter hiatus making headlines, but apparently, not for the kind of reasons that attract viewers. Actor Jussie Smollett was arrested and faces a felony criminal charge of disorderly conduct. It was difficult to guess whether all the buzz would help, hurt, or not affect at all the ratings for the second half of Empire. Now that the spring premiere has aired, the numbers are in, and they aren't great.

In Empire's 8 p.m. ET Wednesday time slot on Fox, the spring premiere drew a 1.3 rating in the key 18-49 age demographic and a grand total of 4.41 million viewers in Live+Same day calculations, according to The Wrap. While those numbers wouldn't be terrible for a show on most basic cable networks or The CW, they definitely couldn't have made many folks at Fox and Empire very happy. The ratings and viewership are notably down from the previous episode.

The previous episode was the midseason finale, which aired back on December 5. It scored a 1.5 rating in the key demo and attracted 5.04 million viewers. The ratings represent a drop of 13% in the demographic and overall audience from the December 5 episode, which ended on a crazy cliffhanger that one would have expected to hang on to viewers, or perhaps even attract new ones.

The numbers are also a 35% drop in the ratings and 29% drop in viewership from the spring premiere of Season 4 back in 2018. The Season 5 spring premiere won the second-smallest audience and second-worst rating in the history of the show. The numbers weren't this low since Halloween in 2018, which holds the record for the smallest audience and demo rating. Did Jussie Smollett's arrest tank Empire's ratings?

Honestly, it's impossible to say. The numbers that have been calculated so far are disappointing, but there's a chance that they could rise significantly once post-live viewership can be tallied. Ratings and viewership after three days and seven days might be less dire. There's also the point that Empire's spring premiere wasn't the most hyped episode of television to hit the airwaves this midseason. Who knows? Maybe viewers just aren't loving the mystery of who dies, and the cliffhanger therefore fell flat.

There are just too many variables to say for sure that Jussie Smollett's arrest and all the negative buzz surrounding it resulted in the unfortunate ratings. That said, the odds are pretty good that at least some of the folks who didn't tune in had their decision impacted by Jussie Smollett's real life situation.

The actor, who plays Jamal, reported that he was attacked back at the end of January, and the case was being investigated as a hate crime. Rumors soon began to circulate, however, that Jussie Smollett had staged the attack as part of an effort to win a higher salary. Fox stood by Smollett for a while, but he was eventually removed from the final two episodes of Season 5, which had not yet been completed at the time of his arrest.

For those who didn't catch the spring premiere, it did present a potential way for Empire to write out Jamal, if the decision is made to fire Jussie Smollett. Rumors of a recast have not been confirmed, and it's entirely possible that Jamal would make his exit at the same time as Smollett. We'll have to wait and see what happens in the coming weeks.

If you're so inclined to watch, new episodes of Empire air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Spoilers ahead for the spring premiere of Empire Season 5, called "My Fault Is Past."

Empire finally returned to the airwaves after more than three months, and a lot has gone down in those three months. Jussie Smollett, who plays Jamal on the series, claimed that he was brutally attacked in Chicago, but investigations into his claim resulted in Smollett's arrest. He faces allegations that he staged the attack, and his future on the show is uncertain. Now, the spring premiere of Season 5 may revealed a way Empire can write him out of the show, if that's the direction the producers decide to go.

"My Fault Is Past" didn't address the winter finale cliffhanger that seemingly indicated Andre is the one in the coffin, and the show is actually done with the flash-forwards. Instead, the episode dealt with the fallout of Kingsley's reveal that he is Lucious' son from before he met Cookie, which raises the potentially sticky issue of Kingsley as Lucious' eldest child, even if Andre is the oldest with the Lyon surname. Meanwhile, Jamal was faced with the very real possibility of the permanent end of his relationship with Kai.

Although Kai previously helped out the Lyons with his connections and reach as a journalist, he clearly hasn't been on the same page as them with regard to their methods of fighting their way to the top. His love for Jamal was primarily what kept him around, and he revealed in "My Fault Is Past" that he treasures the memories of their time together in London, before Jamal was pulled back into his family's drama.

Kai also confessed that the Lyon family scares him, which is a pretty big deal considering he's no longer afraid of violence or physical harm. He can face violence without flinching, but seeing his potential father-in-law and brother-in-law dangling a man out of a window for information threw him. Kai just wanted to leave the Lyons behind with Jamal by his side.

This didn't work for Jamal, who reached out to Kai for one last favor before Kai returned to London to take some time away from the relationship. Kai did help out one more time, and he made his final overture to Jamal for him to leave his family behind, but Jamal stated that the man he spends his life with needs to accept all sides of him, and that includes the Lyon family. Jamal returned his ring, and Kai left.

Despite each of their conviction that they were in the right, both men were clearly devastated by the breakup, and Jamal was struggling to deal with it by the end of the episode. "My Fault Is Past" gave the impression that Jamal is sticking around despite his heartbreak; could the Jussie Smollett scandal result in a change of plan, with Jamal deciding to join Kai in London for an off-screen happily-ever-after?

If the Lyons continue to cross lines, even Jamal may not be able to stomach their actions. Alternately, perhaps the big death will be enough for him to want to live life to the fullest, by the side of the man he loves in a relationship that conveniently takes him out of the main action without being killed off. It would certainly be a more upbeat ending than Riggs got over other Lethal Weapon when his actor had to be written out.

All of this said, it's not certain at this point that Jussie Smollett will be leaving Empire, and showrunner Brett Mahoney recently raised the point that only time will tell. No decisions have evidently been made at this point. Rumors of a recast have also been circulating, so it's possible the show decides to simply reveal a Jamal with a very different face in Season 6, assuming Season 6 happens.

If Empire does decide to go the route of writing out Jussie Smollett without recasting Jamal, then giving him a happy ending with Kai in London could be an ideal way to pull it off. Of course, that would mean my theory about Kai as the big death of Season 5 is no longer viable, and the fact that Smollett won't be in the final two episodes of Season 5 would mean that he'd have to embark on that happily-ever-after without appearing on camera. We'll have to wait and see.

Tune in to Fox on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of Empire in the 2019 midseason TV lineup. There are plenty of viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future.

Empire is finally getting back into gear with the second half of Season 5 after a long hiatus, but the biggest source of buzz over the past month and a half has surrounded Jussie Smollett. The actor, who has played Jamal since the very beginning of the series, reported an attack back in the end of January, but rumors quickly emerged that he fabricated the story. Smollett has since been arrested. Now, showrunner Brett Mahoney has opened up about the sticky situation, saying this:

Understandably, the unfolding situation has been an emotional ride for Brett Mahoney and others at Empire. What began as a report of a vicious attack that was being investigated as a hate crime turned into an investigation into whether Jussie Smollett staged the attack as part of an attempt to increase his salary.

Given the seriousness of what Jussie Smollett originally seemed to have gone through, rumors of staging were blasted as ridiculous by many, including Fox. Brett Mahoney himself took a stand for Smollett on Twitter back in mid February, stating that he believed and stood by the actor. Less than a week of developments later, however, and Mahoney joined other executive producers in announcing that Jamal would be removed from the final two episodes of Season 5.

Judging by Brett Mahoney's comments, the Empire team still managed to focus on producing the episodes that weren't yet complete before Jussie Smollett was pulled from the final two and then arrested. It makes sense that filming was already heightened emotionally, as Season 5 has been building to the reveal of what promises to be a major death. Given rumors of recasting, I'm inclined to say that Jamal is not the one to bite the dust, and I have my own theory about who it is.

Brett Mahoney went on in his chat with EW to explain the difficulty of writing out Jussie Smollett from the final episodes of Season 5:

Removing such a major character as Jamal was not something Brett Mahoney and Co. expected to have to deal with in the final episodes of Season 5, but it sounds like there was a silver lining to his absence. Pieces of story that had to be cut from the season for time could be inserted into the show.

Will some fans be bummed that the new bits of story come at the expense of an absent Jamal? Undoubtedly. Still, at least Brett Mahoney and the rest of the team at Empire won't just be throwing irrelevant filler into the final episodes.

It's certainly true that Empire has quite an ensemble. The Lyon family alone is filled with a bunch of complex characters, and the non-Lyons have plenty of stories to tell as well. If we're lucky, the lack of Jamal won't be all that noticeable because of everything else going on.

Brett Mahoney also addressed the big question of whether the show could move on without Jussie Smollett:

Despite those rumors of a recasting as a way to remove Jussie Smollett without getting rid of Jamal, Brett Mahoney states that it's too soon for any decision to be made about Smollett's future on the show. He does raise the point that Empire isn't just about Jamal, and I believe there can be little doubt that Empire could survive the departure of Smollett and/or Jamal. We'll have to wait and see.

Empire returned for the second half of Season 5 with its midseason premiere on March 13, and you can catch new episodes on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

The Jussie Smollett situation is bizarre to watch play out from afar, but it's especially tough for the people in his life. Smollett was just arrested on a felony charge of disorderly conduct after his allegedly false claim that he was attacked. The Empire actor plays Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama, with Terrence Howard as his father Lucious Lyon. Howard posted love for his on-screen son with a sweet video showing Smollett holding a baby:

As you can see, he captioned the video, "All your lil homies got you. We love the hell outta you." Some fans were surprised by his support, considering the damage Jussie Smollett is accused of doing to fake an attack. Here's how Terrence Howard replied to one critic:

It's a totally different thing when you know the person in question. Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollett have been co-stars for five seasons. Smollett insists he didn't make up the attack, despite Chicago police claiming he paid two brothers to target him because he was allegedly unhappy with his salary on the show.

According to CNN, Jussie Smollett's attorneys said they plan to mount "an aggressive defense."

Empire and the Fox brass have changed their tunes over the past week. Initially, they stood by Jussie Smollett. When a rumor spread that Smollett staged the attack because he was worried about being written off the show, the network and show blasted the rumor as "patently ridiculous." They had no plans to write him off the show.

But now that Jussie Smollett has been arrested, Fox shared a statement saying Empire planned to remove the character of Jamal from the final two episodes of Season 5. There are also now rumors that Empire producers are considering recasting the role of Jamal for Season 6, so as to keep the character around.

Jussie Smollett claimed he was attacked on January 29. The next day, Terrence Howard spoke about the incident on Good Morning America (via Us Weekly), sharing how the Empire cast reacted when they heard Smollett was hospitalized:

Previously, fellow Empire star Taraji P. Henson said she just told Jussie Smollett to speak his truth.

Jussie Smollett is reportedly due back in court March 14. Empire Season 5 returns from break on March 13 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, as one of the many shows airing during the 2019 midseason.

Empire's Jussie Smollett has been making headlines for some unpleasant reasons over the past month. The actor was recently arrested on the charge of allegedly filing a false police report when he claimed that he was attacked on the streets of Chicago, in what was originally classified as a hate crime. That left the question of his future on the hit Fox show. Now, the show is reportedly considering a recast to keep Jamal on the show without Jussie Smollett in the role.

Empire producers are considering casting a new actor to play Jamal in a sixth season of the show, according to TVLine, and an Empire insider allegedly revealed that show co-creator Lee Daniels in particular is on board with the option of recasting. Notably, the character of Jamal is loosely based on Daniels. Although representatives for Empire and Lee Daniels have not yet commented on the recasting option, many Empire fans may not be altogether shocked if a recasting does happen.

Of course, Jussie Smollett has not officially been axed from Empire by this point, so there's no guarantee that Jamal will ever be played by somebody else. At the time of writing, the latest official statement from Fox and Empire is that Smollett will not appear in the last two episodes of Season 5, which were the last two that hadn't been completed by the time the scandal broke. Lee Daniels was among those who signed the statement regarding Smollett's absence from the final two episodes.

The scandal began back in the end of January, when Jussie Smollett claimed that he had been attacked by two men, and there was an outpouring of sympathy for him. Later, however, rumors began to circulate that authorities suspected that Smollett had staged the attack and had prior acquaintance with the two men who first appeared as the prime suspects. Authorities claim that he hired them to fake the attack. By the end of this week, Smollett was arrested for filing a false police report and then released on bail.

Although Fox and Empire at first seemingly had no intention of removing Jussie Smollett from the show, stories emerged that scenes featuring Smollett were being cut. Is Smollett really on his way out?

Well, nobody may have any choice on the matter if Jussie Smollett is convicted of filing the false police report. A guilty verdict could result in up to three years in prison. The folks at Fox and Empire may not wait that long to make a decision, though. The whole scandal has not exactly resulted in positive attention for the show, and this isn't the first time that a star of a Fox drama faced a potential recasting after some real-life issues.

Unlike Clayne Crawford and Lethal Weapon, however, it seems more likely that Empire would present a new actor as Jamal than simply kill off the original character and replace him with somebody new. After all, the whole affair broke out after the flash-forward death in Empire Season 5 presumably had been settled, and it's difficult to imagine the show without all three of the Lyon brothers. Jamal is certainly in the thick of the drama in Season 5.

Empire returns for the second half of Season 5 on Wednesday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. For more of what to watch and when to watch it, take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule.

Empire star Jussie Smollett was once best known for his performances on the hit Fox show, but he’s been making headlines over the last month for different reasons. Back in the end of January, Smollett claimed that he had been attacked while on the streets of Chicago, and the case was originally investigated as a hate crime. In the weeks since, suspicion shifted to Smollett, and he has been arrested. Now, Fox and Empire have decided how to handle the situation as it relates to Season 5 of the show.

20th Century Fox revealed the latest on how the situation is being handled in a statement, saying this:

The statement (as posted on 20th Century Fox's official Twitter account) was signed by co-creator and executive producer Lee Daniels, co-creator and executive producer Danny Strong, and executive producers Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo, and Dennis Hammer. The statement comes less than a week after Brett Mahoney took to his own Twitter account to share that he believed and stood by Jussie Smollett. Of course, a lot has happened in the past week.

After rumors abounded that Jussie Smollett was being investigated for filing a false police report rather for days, he was arrested on February 21. Allegedly, the actor paid a pair of brothers to stage the attack and then filed the false police report, and he stands charged with a felony for disorderly conduct. Authorities aren’t releasing all of the details of the case, but they apparently accumulated enough evidence that Smollett’s arrested was warranted. He turned himself into the authorities. Smollett has since been released on bail.

Some suggested that Jussie Smollett staged the attack because Empire planned to write his character out; Fox, co-creator Danny Strong, and the Empire writers all shot down that particular rumor and stated that no plans had been in place to end Jamal’s story on the show. The plan seemed to be to keep Smollett on board as usual. A few days later, it was reported that some of his scenes in the then-filming penultimate episode of Season 5 were being cut, including a musical performance.

The latest statement proves that the show went further than just axing a musical number and cutting his scenes. Jussie Smollett will be absent from the final two episodes of the season, which must have required a lot of scrambling from the writers. Still, Fox maintained that Smollett was still on Empire.

Now, Jussie Smollett being cut from the last two episodes of Season 5 doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s being fired from the show, although nobody will have a choice in the matter if he’s found guilty of the disorderly conduct charge. Such a verdict could result in up to three years in prison. Will Fox keep him in the Empire cast?

It is difficult to imagine Empire without Jamal after he’s been such a key part of the five seasons that have aired so far, and his absence in the final two episodes of Season 5 could leave a noticeable hole in the stories being told. Still, this is an ugly situation that may only get uglier. We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store next.

Empire returns for the second half of Season 5 on Wednesday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Swing by our midseason TV premiere schedule for some additional viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future.

Just over three weeks after Jussie Smollett filed a police report in Chicago claiming he was the victim of a possible hate crime, the city's authorities came to the decision that the evidence showed those initial claims were indeed falsified. As such, the Empire star was officially declared a suspect on February 20, and in the early morning hours on Thursday, February 21, Smollett was arrested after surrendering to Chicago police.

Anthony Guglielmi, the Chief Communications Officer for Chicago PD, took to Twitter to make the announcement, seen below.

On Wednesday, updates on the case designated Jussie Smollett an official suspect of a Class 4 felony for filing a false police report in connection with his alleged late-night attack. Now that he's been arrested, he's facing a felony criminal charge of disorderly conduct, and the result of this case could change the actor's life and future considerably.

If found guilty of the disorderly conduct charge tethered to filing a faux report, Jussie Smollett could face up to three years in prison. Such a prison stint would almost definitely derail his TV career on Fox's Empire, whose cast and showrunner have shown major support for Smollett ever since the night of the alleged attack. His burgeoning music career, which is largely tied to Empire's success, could also be affected in big ways.

At the time when the criminal indictment was given the go-ahead by the Cook County State Attorney's office, Chicago PD's Anthony Guglielmi announced that the detectives were making contact with Jussie Smollett's legal team in order to try and make it a safe and peaceful surrender.

Smollett's legal team was still on the defense whenever the actor was officially declared a suspect, but things have obviously taken a downward turn. The press conference this morning in Chicago should help to clear up some of the still-murky details surrounding the arrest and official charges.

For some background: On the night of January 29, Jussie Smollett claimed two men in ski masks started hollering racist and homophobic insults at him and subsequently physically attacked him. Smollett claimed they beat him down and then doused him with a chemical substance that was thought to be bleach. Then, the actor says they tied a noose around his neck, at which point they ran off, and Smollett was admitted to a nearby hospital.

Many were immediately suspicious of the actor's claims, given some conflicts involving physical evidence needed to prove Jussie Smollett's accusations true. Some people claimed Smollett had been seen walking around in public earlier that evening with a rope allegedly already tied around his neck. As well, police were reportedly unable to find any surveillance camera footage of the attack, even though there were an abundance of cameras in the area were the attack allegedly took place.

Two Nigerian brothers with connection to the alleged attack were brought in for questioning as "persons of interest" on February 13, Police discovered the brothers actually had ties to Empire as extras, and one of the brothers reportedly served as a personal trainer for one of Smollett's music videos. Citing new evidence, the Chicago PD later released two two brothers without charging them.

Empire went back into production this week after some weather-related delays. Rumors abound that Jussie Smollett's role in the show would be heavily cut down in the aftermath of this controversy, at least the for the episode that is currently filming. Now that Smollett has been arrested, though, it's unclear how the producers will go about handling things.

Empire is set to return to Fox for the back half of Season 5 on Wednesday, March 13, at 8:00 p.m., but don't be too surprised if the network and producers need to shift things around depending on where this case goes next. Stay tuned for more details as they emerge.

Empire and network Fox are standing by Jussie Smollett in the wake of an unconfirmed rumor suggesting the actor staged the alleged attack against him because he was going to be written off the TV show.

Jussie Smollett has played Jamal Lyon, middle son in the Lyon family, since Empire Season 1 in 2015. 20th Century Fox TV and Fox Entertainment issued a statement make it clear the network is standing by Smollett (via Deadline):

Empire co-creator Danny Strong also addressed the rumor, via Twitter:

The Empire Writers account also weighed in on Twitter, since the rumor had suggested they were the ones planning to write off the character of Jamal Lyon:

ABC 7 Chicago had reported that police were investigating whether Jussie Smollett staged the January 29 attack with help of two other men.

Anthony Guglielmi, Chief Communications Officer for the Chicago Police, responded by saying any media reports about the Empire incident being a hoax were unconfirmed by case detectives. He said they contacted ABC 7 to state on the record that they had "no evidence to support their reporting and their supposed CPD sources are uninformed and inaccurate."

The Chicago Police rep clarified that detectives had identified the people of interest in the area of the alleged attack, but those people weren't considered suspects at this point. They were just being questioned by detectives. Since the investigation is ongoing, he added this note:

Jussie Smollett said he was attacked on January 29 in Chicago. He said two men in ski masks addressed him with racist and homophobic slurs, then physically attacked him by pouring liquid on him and putting a noose around his neck.

Shortly after the alleged hate crime, Empire star Taraji P. Henson revealed her message for Jussie Smollett, saying she just told him to walk his truth. The Fox and Empire team issued a statement of support. Production briefly shut down, but because of weather, not this incident.

Empire is currently in the middle of airing Season 5. The huge midseason finale, Episode 9, aired in December 2018. Season 5 is scheduled to return March 13 on Fox, and the season will reportedly have 18 episodes in total. Keep up with all the relevant dates in our handy 2019 midseason premiere calendar.

Taraji P. Henson is headed to the big screen this weekend for What Men Want. However, she still has her Empire family at heart, and during a recent appearance on Today she talked to Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb about what she told her co-star Jussie Smollett after his recent attack in Chicago. She said:

The attack, which allegedly occurred last week, reportedly left the actor bruised and battered. Rumors indicate his Empire cast and crew family were told about the attack shortly after and discussions were held to determine whether or not extra security precautions were needed on set. Fox and Empire's team have supported Jussie Smollett since the reported attack and the network even made an official statement after the news broke regarding Smollett, noting:

The show actually shut down production last week due to the polar vortex, so hopefully the actor got a bit of a break before being required to return to work.

Over the weekend Jussie Smollett headed to Los Angeles, where he performed in front of a crowd, telling those at the Troubadour Club in West Hollywood that many of the facts that were reported have been off. His ribs were bruised but not broken, for example. He went to a doctor but was not hospitalized as well. He also says he “fought back” against his attackers.

Taraji P. Henson also mentioned a lot along the lines of what Jussie Smollett mentioned over the weekend. He talked about the “hateful rhetoric” need “to stop.” His co-star also iterated on Today:

Empire is currently airing its fifth season on Fox. The storyline this season for Jussie Smollett’s character, Jamal, has involved him movie back to New York from London with his new boyfriend Kai. Things have not always been smooth between Kai and Jamal, especially after their engagement went public, but we won’t see how their storyline pans out until the show returns to the schedule this spring.

Empire is expected to return for the second half of Season 5 this spring, although Fox has not set an official date yet. In the meantime, take a look at CinemaBlend's midseason schedule to see what else is returning coming up.

Jussie Smollet, popular for his work on Empire, has been hospitalized after being attacked on his way to order food earlier this week. Police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.

Late on Monday the actor flew back to Chicago from New York. He was reportedly on the way to get food at a Subway at 2 a.m. 300 block of East Lower Water Street when he was brutally attacked by two men who allegedly screamed at him, poured an unconfirmed substance on him (some outlets report bleach) and then wrapped a noose around Jussie Smollet’s neck.

Jussie Smollet currently lives in Chicago while filming Fox’s hit series Empire in which he plays the openly gay character Jamal Lyon. Smollett is also openly gay in real life.

The initial police report about the incident does not mention details, but outlets including TMZ are reporting one of the suspects yelled “This is MAGA country” during the attack. The outlet also reports that attackers shouted homophobic slurs at the actor after recognizing him from Empire.

The initial police report reads as follows:

As of Tuesday morning, Jussie Smollett had been taken to Northwestern Memorial and had been released after treatment.

Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, and CPD spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told the Chicago Tribune:

People on staff were reportedly already on set to shoot today’s episode of Empire when the news broke. There have allegedly been talks of increasing security on set as the rest of the season unfolds. Fox has spoken out to say the studio will work with authorities and that the network is "deeply saddened and outraged" by the turn of events. Jussie Smollett's representatives have no comment at this time.

Empire is currently airing its fifth season on Fox. Jussie Smollett’s character's storyline this season has revolved around dating and subsequently becoming engaged to new partner Kai, although since it’s Empire, no relationship is ever simple.

Jussie Smollett has previously talked about the storyline in Season 5, noting that it would be different than anything else audiences have seen on network TV previously. He said:

We’ll keep you updated on information as this story unfolds.

It’s impossible not to be excited about Alien: Covenant. Sir Ridley Scott is directing another instalment to the iconic sci-fi franchise, while by far the best thing about Prometheus, Michael Fassbender, is also returning as David, the oddly enchanting android. But who else is inline to feature in Alien: Covenant? Well, the latest batch of casting additions to the sixth Alien film have been announced, and, even though you might not know who they are right now, they're all destined for huge things.

Deadline was the first to confirm the four new castmembers for Alien: Covenant, which is due to start shooting at the start of March. But who is joining Michael Fassbender, the only actor who is currently confirmed (Noomi Rapace will reportedly not join him) to be returning from 2012’s Prometheus, on Alien: Covenant? Well, have a gander below to learn all. 

Jussie Smollett

With a CV that includes child acting turns in The Mighty Ducks and North, plenty of you will already be familiar with the 32-year-old actors work. But most of you will recognise him thanks to his recent performance as Jamal Lyon in the smash hit Fox drama Empire. Jussie Smollett has earned rave reviews because of his work on Empire, and the promotion to the big screen was always in his future. It just so happens that it will be as part of the most successful sci-fi franchises of all time.

Amy Seimetz

A writer, producer, director, and editor, as well as actress, Amy Seimetz has already proven over the course of her still-brief career that she is adept in a number of cinematic arenas. As an actress, she’s most well known for her work on AMC’s The Killing and HBO’s Family Tree, while she’s also appeared in the Sundance favorites Upstream Color and Pit Stop. Obviously appearing in Alien: Covenant is a huge step-up for the talented actress, but it’s one that she’ll likely take with gusto. 

Carmen Ejogo

This 42-year-old British actress is probably the most experienced of the quartet joining Alien: Covenant, having appeared in both 2014’s Selma, which was nominated for 2015's Best Picture, and recently completing work on Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. With her work on the latter, Carmen Ejogo has already sampled working on a huge production, which puts her at an advantage to her younger casting additions to Alien: Covenant.

Callie Hernandez

The fact that Callie Hernandez doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page is proof of just how inexperienced the actress is. But prepare for that to change, because she recently finished work on Damien Chazelle’s follow-up to Whiplash, La La Land, opposite Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, as well as Terrence Malik’s Weightless. With the addition of Sir Ridley Scott, that’s a pretty good trifecta of directors to have worked under so early into her career.

Sir Ridley Scott previously revealed that he was on the hunt for the actors to play characters that stumble upon Michael Fassbender’s David in Alien: Covenant, and the above foursome are more than likely part of that team. They round out an already impressive cast, which includes Fassbender and newcomers Katherine Waterston, Demian Bichir, and Danny McBride. We’ll finally get to see their work when Alien: Covenant is released on October 6, 2017.