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Canceled: Jussie Smollett’s Shady Case Causes Fox’s “Empire” to Fall

Last Updated September 23, 2020 12:43 PM
Nick Marinoff
Last Updated September 23, 2020 12:43 PM

By CCN.com: Jussie Smollett’s prima-donna attitude has sealed the fate of his “Empire” colleagues. Fox announced that the once popular show is coming to an end after  season six following the alleged hate attack Smollett is believed to have staged on himself last January. Smollett was later arrested for the crime, though all 16 counts against him were dropped in late March.

Speculation didn’t end with the dismissal of the charges, and the city of Chicago filed a civil suit against the disgraced actor in April for $130,000, along with attorney and related legal fees. Lawmakers say the money will be used to offset financial losses incurred through several hours of overtime spent investigating Smollett’s case. The actor has maintained his innocence and says he will not be “intimidated” into “reimbursing the city.”

How Jussie Smollett Led to a Crumbling “Empire”

“Empire” has been suffering from low ratings  since Smollett’s case became the target of mainstream media.

It seems everyone has just about had enough of Smollett. Despite pleas from his fellow cast members and a letter penned by the show’s stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard asking that he be allowed to stay on, the actor was written out of the final two episodes of the show’s fifth season. Fox also announced that executives have  “no plans” to bring Smollett back for season six, which will mark the show’s official closing period.

This marks the second time that Smollett has potentially lost work over his ongoing legal scandal. Recently, the actor was let go from the Broadway play Take Me Out. Smollett was previously in rehearsals to portray the story’s main character of a gay baseball player who comes out and suffers homophobic attacks from his teammates.

A spokesperson for the play emerged to say that casting had “shifted” once Smollett became the subject of a legal investigation.

A representative of Smollett has released a statement explaining;

“We’ve been told Jussie will not be on “Empire”… He is grateful to Fox and “Empire” leadership, cast, crew, and fans for their unwavering support.

Jussie Smollett – Now Just a Non-Working, Second Rate Actor?

What’s the real irony, here? Smollett allegedly performed the attack on himself out of dissatisfaction  with his “Empire” salary. Apparently, $65,000 per episode wasn’t enough for the rookie player to live on.

Smollett’s per-episode salary has now fallen to three zeroes without the 65 in front of them. He’s out of work and out of respect. But hey, he should look on the bright side. Many people probably didn’t even know his name five months ago, so if it’s fame he was after, he certainly got it. That deserves a pat on the back, right?