Jussie Smollett will be back on Empire, according to his co-star Taraji P Henson.
The actor was asked about Smollett’s situation on The View on Thursday morning. Empire is currently on hiatus after wrapping up its fifth season.
“Is Jussie going to be on the show?” Joy Behar asked as Henson discussed the future of the series.
“Yes,” she responded. “I haven’t heard anything else. I haven’t heard anything.”
Charges against Smollett were dropped last week in Chicago. The actor had been accused of allegedly lying to the police about being the victim of a racist, homophobic attack on the street.
Smollett, who plays Jamal Lyon on Empire, had been removed from the remaining episodes of season five in February, amid his court case.
When it was announced that the 16 felony counts against him would be dismissed, the Twitter account for Empire writers shared a screenshot of a CNN broadcast relaying the news, along with a winking emoji and the message ”See y’all Wednesday”, which is the day when Empire airs.
The account also retweeted a statement from the Smollett family, as well as quotes shared by Smollett outside the courthouse that day. The actor, who has maintained his innocence throughout the case, said he had been ”truthful and consistent on every level since day one”.
Fox and 20th Century Fox Television said in a statement they were “gratified” by the outcome.
