FOX Cuts Down Jussie Smollett’s Scenes for ‘Empire’ Season 5 Following Attack Investigations

As things heat up concerning the investigation into the assault made on Empire star Jussie Smollett, FOX has decided to lessen the actor’s appearance on the show’s second half of its fifth season.

Empire is currently in production as it gears up for its return on March 13th. The Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson-led hit show reportedly removed some scenes of Smollett as Chicago PD delves deeper into the actor’s case, who is now inclined to believe that Smollett did, in fact, stage the attack.

Deadline reports that the show underwent significant rewrites to reduce Smollett’s appearance and performances in the next episodes. Despite this, plans to make major changes on the show are not yet on the table. FOX did not comment on the matter.

Despite the overflow of support from the network and Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney, the decision to cut Smollett from Empire comes after Chicago PD identified brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo as persons of interest in the case. Both men were extras in the show, and one of whom was Smollett’s personal trainer.

Smollett’s case is becoming a divided issue at the moment, as multiple reports point out that the actor-singer hired his personal trainer to perform the assault. Chicago PD previously refuted claims that Smollett staged the attack. But in light of recent developments, the department has plausible reasons to believe so. Smollett also refused to talk to the Chicago PD following the allegations. Detectives wanted to know more about the actor’s side of the story, as they have previously met with the Osundairo brothers about the incident. Smollett has also lawyered up since it’s being reported that he could face criminal charges if the assertions prove to be true.

Smollett was assaulted on January 29 by two masked men who then tied a noose around him and screamed, “This is MAGA country!” before fleeing the scene. It has been described as a racial and homophobic hate crime. The actor’s attorneys, Todd S. Pugh and Victor P. Henderson, issued a statement saying, “As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with.”