Smollett allegations could be a ‘career killer’

FOR FIVE YEARS, JUSSIE Smollett has been enmeshed in weekly drama on the set of Empire, the Fox TV series that gave the actor a breakout role and the fame to advance his social activism.

But Friday’s news that Smollett won’t appear on the final two episodes of this season of Empire leaves his future on the series in doubt, part of the cascading fallout of one night on a Chicago street in January. It left Smollett facing felony charges and raised the possibility that his role as Jamal Lyon could mark the pinnacle of the 36-year-old’s career.

Smollett told police he was the victim of a hate crime committed by men who threw liquid in his face, yelled racist, anti-gay slurs and looped a noose around his neck. After investigations, Smollett was charged Wednesday with staging the attack with help from two brothers he knew and allegedly paid for their services. Even in an industry in which bad or erratic behaviour is expected, insiders and observers are stunned by what authorities allege was fakery intended in part to get Smollett publicity and a raise.

“This is incredible. No one does this,” said Garth Ancier, co-founder of the Fox network. If more money was his goal, that’s what agents and negotiations are for, he said. “It’s too bad that such a talented guy threw all that away,” Ancier said.

There are two episodes of the show left to make of the ones airing this season. In a statement, Empire producers said that while they care about Smollett deeply, “We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of Jamal from the final two episodes of the season.” The series returns March 13 with nine episodes. At this point, Smollett is part of the seven already completed episodes.

Before Friday’s statement, Fox had publicly stood behind Smollett even as scepticism about the attack arose. Replacing Smollett so late in the series might be problematic. Writing his character, one of three Lyon sons, out of future seasons would be less so.

Smollett’s legal team released a statement calling Chicago police’s version of events “an organised law enforcement spectacle that has no place in the American legal system.