Despite all of the negative headlines that have surrounded Jussie Smollett over the past couple of months, he still has a job on his show “Empire” — at least, according to Taraji P. Henson.
Smollett was indicted on 16 counts last month after police said he lied to them about being attacked in Chicago. The charges have since been dropped, and the opinions have been split about whether the actor lied about the beating or not.
Taraji P. Henson said Jussie Smollett will return to “Empire” next season. (Photo: Getty Images, Fox)
Smollett’s character Jamal Lyon was removed from the last two episodes of season 5 after his arrest, and there has been no official word that he’ll be back for season 6. The show is currently on hiatus, but Henson said she still speaks to her co-star quite often.
“Yeah, I talk to Jussie all the time, and he’s doing well. We’re all doing well, the show is doing well,” she said Thursday, April 4, on “The View.”
Co-host Joy Behar then asked about Smollett’s future on the show, and Henson said as far as she knows it’s intact.
“Yes, I haven’t heard anything else,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Smollett’s attorney, lawyer-to-the-stars Mark Geragos, issued a letter to the city of Chicago after his client was told he has to pay $130,106 or he’ll be sued. Police say that amount represents the cost to investigate the actor’s alleged attack, and they want it all back.
But Geragos said his client “will not be intimidated” and calling the attack a hoax is “false and defamatory.”
He also said the beating really happened and the two Nigerian brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo are responsible. Smollett was accused of hiring the brothers and paying them $3,500 to attack him, and the actor’s attorney now wants them further investigated. See what all Taraji said about her co-star below.
