Jussie Smollett
Jussie Smollett will not appear in the final two episodes of ‘Empire’, the show’s executive producers have said.
In a statement, they said the past few weeks had been “incredibly emotional” for the team.
They called allegations that Mr. Smollett had falsely claimed he was the victim of a hate crime “disturbing”.
The 36-year-old African-American actor is accused of filing a fake police report claiming he was the victim of a homophobic and racist assault.
Police say he staged the attack because he was “dissatisfied” with his salary.
In the statement, the Fox production team said, “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.”
It is not clear whether Mr. Smollett will return to the show in future seasons.
US media reported that the actor was seen at the studio where ‘Empire’ is filmed on Thursday afternoon.
Sources told NBC and CNN Mr. Smollett apologised to the cast for any embarrassment caused by the incident but maintained his innocence.
Mr. Smollett is accused of paying two brothers to stage the attack. Chicago officials also believe that he sent a racist and homophobic letter to himself at a Fox studio beforehand. At an earlier hearing, a judge set the actor’s bail at $100,000 (£76,000).
Mr. Smollett, who was pictured outside the courthouse after posting bail, denies the charge of felony disorderly conduct.
His lawyers have said they will “mount an aggressive defence” of Mr. Smollett, who they described as “a young man of impeccable character”.
What Did He Say Had Happened?
Mr. Smollett said two white men hurled racist and homophobic insults at him when he went out late at night to buy food from a Subway sandwich shop in Chicago on January 29.
He said they then punched him, poured a potentially chemical substance over him and put a rope around his neck – a reference to racist lynchings of African-Americans.
He also claimed the men said “this is Maga country” during the assault, a reference to President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’.
- BBC