Fox confirmed that the sixth season of Empire will be the final. However, the fate of Jussie Smollett remains unclear.
“We’re excited to see the show go out with a bang and, really, that’s what we’ve been focused on,” said Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier in an interview.
When pushed for feedback on Smollett, Collier stated that Fox has “no plans for that”. In the same Washington Post story, he added: “The writer’s room hasn’t even gathered yet.”
In February Smollett, who plays Jamal on Empire was charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly faking a racist and homophobic attack on himself.
According to Bang Showbiz, the actor told Chicago police in January that he had been attacked by two men who yelled racist and homophobic slurs, but authorities later said Smollett had staged the attack.
In March, he was indicted on 16 felony counts, to which he pleaded not guilty, however all charges against the actor were later dropped.
Meanwhile, fans weighed in on the cancellation of Empire on social media with many wondering if Smollett’s fake assault incident is behind the show being cancelled.
Empire has been experiencing low ratings since the incident hence the speculation.
Of course, the mixed reactions show two divided camps: one defending Smollett and the other laying blame at his feet.
Below are some of the Twitter reactions:
Jussie Smollet has single handedly cancelled #Empire😂😂😂
— EZ Tarentino (@ezbrvnchld) May 14, 2019
Well done #NoJob #JussieSmollett you messed it up for everybody #Empire cancelled.
— Marc Talbot (@sosaysmarc) May 13, 2019
So #Empire is cancelled. Thanks #JussieSmollett
— Schadenfreude (@gmsgirl) May 13, 2019