Jussie Smollett To Remain On 'Empire' Amid Claims He Staged Attack, Fox Says
Feb. 20 2019, Published 3:47 p.m. ET
Jussie Smollett will not lose his role on Empire amid claims he staged a 'race hate' attack, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a statement released on Wednesday, 20th Century Fox confirmed the actor will not be written out of the hit show.
"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," the network announced.
Smollett, 36, has been accused of paying Nigerian brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo to stage an assault against him in Chicago on Jan. 29.
The actor claimed to police that the brothers yelled racial and homophobic slurs at him before allegedly battering him and placing a rope around his neck.
The actor also claimed that the brothers "poured an unknown chemical substance on him."
However, the actor's claims have since been questioned after the brothers were initially arrested and then released by police. Abel and Ola, who reportedly worked on the set of Empire, claimed to detectives that they were hired and paid by the actor to stage the crime.
One of the brothers reportedly turned his phone over to police showing a phone call between he and Smollett was placed in the vicinity of the alleged attack before it happened.
What do you think of Fox's decision to keep Smollett's role on Empire? Sound off in the comments.
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