Taraji P. Henson Speaks About Jussie Smollett’s Impact on Empire: “It hurt because it was family”

The Oscar nominee contemplates the tumultuous media frenzy that disrupted the final years of the acclaimed show.

The tremendous success of Fox’s acclaimed drama Empire faced significant challenges in its final seasons due to the intense public scrutiny surrounding Jussie Smollett.

Taraji P. Henson is now sharing insights about the emotional impact on the cast, highlighting the abrupt transition from a prime time powerhouse to a media circus. In a recent interview with Vulture prior to her Broadway debut, Henson expressed that the entire situation felt like “a punch to family” for all those involved.

The controversy in 2019, which revolved around Smollett’s assertions of being a hate crime victim that officials later concluded was fabricated, polarized fans and significantly affected the show’s legacy. Henson shared that observing the drama unfold was profoundly distressing for the cast.

“It was painful because it involved family,” Henson reflected, remembering the headlines from 2019. “And then to have individuals pull someone down who says, ‘I’m attempting to share my truth and you’re claiming I’m lying’?” That is not an ideal situation to find oneself in.

Although the significant fallout ultimately resulted in Smollett’s character being removed from the final episodes, Henson remarked that her former on-screen son is faring well these days.

This is not the first occasion on which Henson has publicly defended Smollett. After his sentencing in 2022, during which a judge mandated a 150-day jail term for disorderly conduct linked to a false police report, Henson openly challenged the harshness of the legal system’s reaction.

During that period, she championed a more lenient approach on social media, contending that the punishment was disproportionate to the offense and highlighting wider inequalities within the justice system.