‘Empire’ To End After Season 6; Jussie Smollett Will Not Be Involved

FOX has announced the cancellation of their hit show ‘Empire’ after season 6, which airs next year. FOX Entertainment executive Charlie Collier said they plan to make season 6 a “large TV event” in an attempt to go out with “guns blazing.”

Collier says the network is sticking with their previous decision not to have Jussie return to the series for season 6. The storyline for Jussie’s character was summed up last season with a wedding…and living happily ever after.

He told ‘Entertainment Tonight,’ “One of the great benefits of announcing a final season is to allow the fans to lean in and to have the ending they deserve, and that’s everything we’re trying to do with this iconic series. Six years is a pretty remarkable run for a drama series, and we feel good about it.”

The cancellation of Lee Daniels’ ‘Empire’ comes days after his other FOX tv drama ‘Star’ was canceled by the network after three seasons. Collier called the decision “difficult.”

Ratings for ‘Empire’ suffered tremendously following the controversy over January 29th presumed hate crime against Jussie Smollett. 

‘Empire’ executive producer Brett Mahoney previously called Season 6 a “reset”  and said he believes other characters will step up narratively to fill the void left behind by Jussie’s absence.