Jussie Smollett will not return for Empire's finale The actor was accused of having orchestrated a racist and homophobic attack on himself back in January, and although he had the case against him dropped in March, he filed a petition for malicious prosecution, claiming officials created the narrative and it has cost him hugely.
As a result, Fox confirmed there were "no plans" for him to return to the show, with his last appearance in June.
It has now been confirmed by Fox's Entertainment President, Michael Thorn, that the actor will not be reprising his role.
He told TVLine: He then elaborated that there were "many factors" to the "hard decision", but ultimately they didn't want the "controversy surrounding Jussie to overshadow the show".
He added: