“Empire,” which debuted in 2015, is a provocative drama about the Lyons, a family dynasty, set within a world of music, glamour, danger and power.

In April 2019, upon renewing “Empire” for its sixth season, Michael Thorn, president/entertainment for Fox Entertainment said,” “’Empire’ continues to break barriers with its emotionally powerful storytelling, and it remains a core part of the Fox legacy. We want to thank everyone on the show — Taraji, Terrence and the entire cast, as well as (executive producers) Lee (Daniels), Danny (Strong), Brett (Mahoney), Sanaa (Hamri), Brian (Grazer), Francie (Calfo), Dennis (Hammer) and their teams — all of whom have done a tremendous job this season. We know there are so many more stories to tell, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for Season Six.”

As the countdown to the series finale begins, the network states that in the spring premiere titled “Can’t Truss ‘Em,” the Lyon family’s world is turned upside down as they face a loss, which forces one Lyon to deal with an unresolved trauma from the past.

Meanwhile, Andre (Trai Byers) makes an important decision about his health, family and career, and Devon (Mario) confronts Tiana (Serayah McNeill) abut her relationship with Hakeem (Philly native Bryshere “Yazz” Gray). Also, a shocking revelation about the future of the Lyons family is revealed.

The captivating series has been steeped in controversy, and last season, it was reported that actor Jussie Smollett (Jamal Lyon), who was arrested on multiple felony charges over an alleged racist and homophobic attack in Chicago, would not appear in the last two episodes of the season.

In a statement published in The Hollywood Reporter, “Empire” executive producers Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer said, “The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us. Jussie has been an important member of our ‘Empire’ family for the past five years and we care about him deeply.

While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out. 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 the set, we have decided to remove the role of Jamal from the final two episodes of the season.”

 

“We’re not going to bring Jussie back to the show,” Thorn said. “There were a number of factors that went into the decision to not bring him back. There were many points of view about if he should come back or if he shouldn’t. As hard as a decision as that was, for us … it felt like it was in the best interests of the show and the cast.”

From familiar favorites to legendary icons, “Empire” has provided a high-profile platform for a cavalcade of African-American actors, including Malik Yoba, Raven-Symone, Vivica A. Fox, Tasha Smith, Patti LaBelle, Leslie Uggams, Taye Diggs and Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker.

Source:  PhillyTrib