Actor Jussie Smollett (36) won't be written out of the drama series Empire on FOX (Dstv 125 / StarSat 131 / Cell C black 201) despite his scenes that were cut from this week's production schedule, with FOX in its latest statement praising the actor as a "consummate professional" while a police investigation continues into his claims of an attack on him last month.
"Jussie Smollett continues to be a consummate professional on set and as we have previously stated, he is not being written out of the show," FOX that broadcasts the show and 20th Century Fox Television, the studio that produces it, says in a statement on Wednesday.
Controversy continues to swirl around Jussie Smollett.
In late-January Jussie Smollett ended up in hospital after a brutal attack and alleged hate crime in Chicago with the actor who alleged that he was attacked in a racial, homophobic altercation, punched, drenched in chemicals and had a rope tied around his neck.
Then Chicago police announced that it now believes that Jussie Smollett paid two former brothers and suspects, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo from Nigeria to stage the attack on him, with one of the brothers who had made an on-screen appearance on Empire during the show's second season.
Chicago police say Jussie Smollett allegedly paid the extras $3 500 to stage the attack on him with Ola who played a prison inmate during the second season of Empire, while Abel (the other brother's nickname) says he also worked on Empire.
Both brothers through their lawyer now admit that they know Jussie Smollett, with Jussie Smollett who said in a statement he's "victimised by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators".
Jussie Smollett still hasn't talked to the police again after the new "developments".
On Tuesday it was reported that Jussie Smollett is getting cut from Empire's production, with all of his scenes that were due to be filmed this week that have been removed from the filming schedule.
TMZ on Tuesday reported that he was supposed to have 9 scenes and a big musical number in the second to the last episode of the current season which is being filmed, but that 5 scenes have been axed as well as his appearance in the musical number.
