Fate of 'Empire' Rests on
Outcome of Jussie Smollett Case FOX has yet to renew ‘Empire’ for a sixth season,
and cast and crew members blame Smollett. 'Empire' is FOX’s number two scripted show
just behind ‘9-1-1’, making it unlikely that
ratings would cause its cancelation. Smollett, a reoccurring actor
on the show, has recently been indicted
on 16 felony charges for filing a false
police report. Production believes the fate of ‘Empire’
rests on the outcome of his case. Smollett is already confirmed to have been removed from the final two episodes of season five. It’s likely that even if the show
gets renewed, FOX executives
will not allow Smollett to
return to his role. ‘Empire’ has been on a midseason hiatus for
over two months and will return to TV
on Wednesday, March 13.