Will "Empire" be canceled after Season 5 because of Jussie Smollett's legal problems?



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Do we see the last season of Empire? This is the issue that has been of great concern to the public as a result of the legal drama surrounding star Jussie Smollett and the report that ratings for the series have skyrocketed.

The Fox series came back from a winter break on March 13, the first time since Smollett made headlines for organizing a hate crime, but viewers have not listened to it. Rumors have circulated that this and the fact that Smollett had been writing the last episodes of season 5 mean that the show ends. Here's what we know and what executive producer Brett Mahoney said about the future of Empire.

Members of the cast & # 39; Empire & # 39;
Casting "Empire" – The Lyon family via Instagram empirefox

Smollett in writing worries other members of the cast

Last January, Smollett claimed to have been a victim of a hate crime in Chicago. Empire is shot. The actor said he was assaulted and beaten by two masked men who had instigated homophobic insults. He also told the police that the attackers had poured him a liquid substance and put a rope around his neck.

After an investigation, the authorities described the alleged incident as a "hoax" and said that they had interviewed two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo, who had claimed that Smollett had paid them to organize the company. attack. Smollett denied the charges but was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct for filing a false police report.

Empire The showrunners have decided to shoot scenes with Smollett's character, Jamal Lyon, on the last two episodes of the season, which worries other members of the cast. According to TMZ, sources of production have stated that "anxiety is strong" among companion cast members since the network has not announced whether the show will be renewed for a sixth season.

EMPIRE: From left to right: Bryshere Y. Gray, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson and Jussie Smollett
"Empire": From left to right: Bryshere Y. Gray, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson and Jussie Smollett FOX via Getty Images

Previously, actors and the team knew the fate of the series in January, Fox revealing then that the series had been resumed. However, last year the network did not announce it would return for another season until May.

Evaluations have feather

Empire It's usually one of Fox's strongest dramas, but the bad press surrounding one of his stars seems to have been enough to dissuade viewers.

TV Line noted that the first mid-season had recorded a drop in audiences with a total of 4.4 million viewers and a demo rating of 1.3. This marked the second lowest number ever recorded for the show. In comparison, the episode preceding the winter break had a rating of 1.5 and more than 5 million viewers. In addition, last year's mid-season report received a score of 2.0 with 6.2 million viewers.

What producer Brett Mahoney said about EmpireThe future

Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard
Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard | John Lamparski / Getty Images)

Mahoney recently spoke to Smollett's Entertainment Weekly and the future of the series.

He described the situation with the actor as an "emotional roller" and said, "You have a family member going through this ordeal, while simultaneously we are shooting the last episodes of the season, which only make that intensify. emotionally. So there were a lot of things to deal with and a lot of things to go through. "

Despite all the drama, Mahoney said that he was "confident" Empire will come back for another season.

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