"Empire" Reveals How They'll Address Jussie Smollett's Absence In Season 6

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20228.0K Views

"Empire" creators had a very clever way of kicking Jamal Lyons' off the show.

There really hasn't been a dull moment in 2019 so far. Even the scandals that broke out in 2018 can't really compare to all the madness that's occurred this year. Jussie Smollett took one of the biggest Ls in 2019 once police flipped the script on his hate crime claim. Smollett had the world on his side at first but after evidence against him was presented, many switched sides including the Empire team. He was kicked off of the show for the sixth and final season but the question that everyone wondered is how they'll do it.

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Empire showrunner Brett Mahoney told TV Line that Jamal Lyon (Smollett) and Kai will be spending the sixth season enjoying their marriage which means dodging the Lyon family drama, particularly from Lucious, Cookie, and Co. “Jamal is taking a sabbatical from the family,” Mahoney revealed. “He doesn’t want to be caught up in Lyon family drama, which is very much in keeping with his point of view last season — that [the family business] should be something that the family moves away from.”

Mahoney added, “Jamal and Kai have decided to stay in London.”

Lee Daniels, who was siding with Smollett heavily during the whole ordeal, made the announcement that Jussie wouldn't return to the show after police said that the actor staged his whole attack.

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.