With the situation surrounding Jussie Smollett, who was accused by the Chicago police department of faking a hate crime before his charges were completely dropped, many assumed that he wouldn't be returning to Empire. Early reports indicated that the cast and crew of the show were split following the dismissal of his criminal charges, but it would seem as though Taraji P. Henson is on his side at the very least.
Appearing on an episode of The View, Henson spoke about what's going on with her co-star and his status on the show. "I talk to Jussie all the time. And he’s doing well," she explained at the 7:00 mark of the clip below. "We’re all doing well. The show is doing well. We’re on hiatus right now. The writers are trying to figure out what the next season is going to look like, what our storyline is going to be. They’re trying to drum up some really good juicy stuff for you guys."
Asked if Jussie Smollet is set to return to the show when it's back from hiatus, Henson replied, "Yes. I haven't heard anything else." Watch her full interview on The View below.
Smollett was indicted with 16 counts of disorderly conduct when he was accused of filing a false report with the police. He pleaded not guilty to the allegations, although authorities maintained their belief that it was a staged attack. The charges were suddenly dropped late last month.
