CHICAGO — Producers for the hit television show “Empire” have announced Jussie Smollet’s character will be removed from the final two episodes of the season, multiple agencies are reporting.
The news comes just hours after the actor apologized to the cast and crew of “Empire” on Thursday night for any embarrassment the recent allegations may have caused, but he maintained that he was innocent, a person at the meeting told CNN.
The person at the meeting said they were shocked and dismayed that Smollett stuck to his story of innocence. For the most part, the source said, Smollett paraphrased what was in the statement that his attorney put out that afternoon, blaming the legal system and the media for his woes.
20th Century Fox Television executive VP of corporate communications and publicity, Chris Alexander, confirmed that Smollett was on set filming on Thursday.
The “Empire” actor was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of filing a false report about a January 29 incident where he said he was the victim of a hate crime. Police allege Smollett paid two men to stage the attack in hopes of promoting his career, according to Chicago Superintendent Eddie Johnson.
Smollett appeared in court Thursday afternoon and spoke only to confirm his name to the judge. His defense team told the court that Smollett was not a flight risk and cited his philanthropic work in making his case for bail. The judge granted a $100,000 bail, and Smollett paid a $10,000 bond. He was ordered to give up his passport and will remain under supervision until his case is adjudicated.
“Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked. Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense,” Smollett’s attorneys said.
When suspicions arose that Smollett’s story could be fabricated, 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment released a statement last week standing by him.
“The idea that Jussie Smollett has been, or would be, written off of ‘Empire’ is patently ridiculous,” the statement read. “He remains a core player on this very successful series and we continue to stand behind him.”
After his arrest Thursday, the studio and network released another statement.
“We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process,” 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said in a statement to CNN on Thursday. “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”
The filming of the season finale episode of Empire is in progress this week and next week.