‘Empire’ to End After Season 6

Empire will end after its upcoming sixth season, with Fox announcing on Monday that the season will be the show’s last.

“We are turning the final season into a television event,” Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said, via Variety. “One of the great benefits of announcing a final season announce have the fans lean in have the finale they desire.”

Collier added that “the writers room for next season hasn’t even gathered yet,” which means that the show will have plenty of time to figure out how to wrap itself up.

The CEO was also asked whether Jussie Smollett would return for the final episodes, to which Collier responded that “we have no plans for that.”

That reply echoes Fox’s earlier statement about Smollett’s return, which was made when the network renewed the drama for Season 6 in April.

“By mutual agreement, the studio has negotiated an extension to Jussie Smollett’s option for season six, but at this time there are no plans for the character of Jamal to return to ‘Empire,’” the network said in a joint statement with studio 20th Century Fox TV at the time, via The Wrap.

In January, Smollett claimed he was the victim of a homophobic and politically and racially-charged hate crime, with the actor later being accused of setting up the attack and hiring the men who assaulted him. The criminal charges against him were dropped in March, but Smollett is now being sued by the city of Chicago in an effort to recoup the costs of the police investigation. As a result of the controversy, Smollett was written out of the final two episodes of Season 5.

When Empire returns in the fall, it will also move to its original Tuesday night air date.

“Season Six promises to be filled with drama, shocking surprises and more jaw-dropping moments,” the network said in a release. “The award-winning drama about a family dynasty set within the glamorous and sometimes dangerous world of hip-hop music has generated chart-topping hits, and socially relevant storylines, introduced “Boo Boo Kitty” into the zeitgeist and delivered over-the-top OMG moments weekly. Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and Lucious (Terrence Howard), the two larger-than-life characters at the center of the series, have taken viewers through the highs and lows that come with fame and fortune. As the series enters its final season, one thing is for sure, the Lyons never go out without a bang.”

Photo Credit: Fox