Jussie Smollett is being cut from the current season ofEmpire, which is close to wrapping production.
FOX issued a statement, saying, “The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us. Jussie has been an important member of ourEmpirefamily 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.”
Top decision makers including Lee Daniels,Danny Strong,Brett Mahoney and Brian Grazer all signed off on the decision. There have also been reports of increasing tension on the set, including cast members who are demanding Jussie be fired or quit. (TMZ)