Contradicting a report earlier in the day, “Empire” co-creator Lee Daniels said Tuesday for the first time that the show’s disgraced co-star Jussie Smollett will not be returning to the cast.
In a response to Variety’s tweet touting its story that “Empire” writers were readying for Smollett’s return, Daniels wrote, “This is not factual. Jussie will NOT be returning to Empire.”
The series will return this fall for its sixth and final season.
While Fox and “Empire” studio 20th Century Fox Television earlier had said there were no plans for Smollett’s character, Jamal, to appear again on the show, they nonetheless renewed Smollett’s option to stay in the cast after he was accused of faking a Chicago hate crime.
