Jussie Smollett Unlikely to Return to ‘Empire,’ Report Says

It is unlikely that Jussie Smollett will reprise his role of Jamal Lyon on Empire following the dismissal of 16 felony counts in relation to an alleged hate crime hoax.

The Tuesday announcement that all 16 felony charges against the Empire star for allegedly lying to police were dropped in exchange for community service and forfeiture of his $10,000 bond payment has reportedly left Fox, as well as the series, considering the fate of Empire, which is likely to return for another season without Smollett starring.

“Things are so unclear and there is a feeling that this isn’t over, that there’s more to come,” said an insider told Deadline.

The hesitance to move forward with the series with Smollett’s name attached reportedly comes down to the reaction to the felony charges dismissal. Both the Chicago Police Department, who announced a “shift” in the investigation that pointed towards a hoax back in February, as well as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, have criticized the state’s attorney’s decision.

Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday just after the charges were dropped and Smollett’s record wiped clean, Emanuel stated that the state attorney’s decision to dismiss the charges was a “whitewash of justice” and later claimed during an interview on Good Morning America that Smollett received special treatment because he’s “a person of influence.”

The Chicago PD have stood by their investigation.

Adding more stress to the situation is the fact that Smollett is still under investigation by the FBI over a potentially self-penned homophobic letter sent to the Empire set that threatened his life. If found guilty, he could face five to 20 years in jail.

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is working closely with our law enforcement partners on this investigation,” the USPS said Wednesday. “We are unable to provide any additional comment at this time.”

There is also currently an “active federal investigation” into how Smollett “received an unusually favorable plea deal. Basically, there is a probe to decide whether or not foul play was involved in his bargain with prosecutors.”

Although reluctant to move forward with Smollett, Fox has stated their support for the actor and claimed that they, along with 20th Century Fox TV, were “gratified” that the charges were dropped.

“Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence,” they said in a joint statement. “And we are gratified on his behalf that all charges against him have been dismissed.”

Smollett has also received support from his Empire co-stars, including Taraji P. Henson, who claimed that “the truth prevailed” after the case was dismissed.