Fate of 'Empire' Rests on<br />Outcome of Jussie Smollett Case FOX has yet to renew ‘Empire’ for a sixth season,<br />and cast and crew members blame Smollett. 'Empire' is FOX’s number two scripted show<br />just behind ‘9-1-1’, making it unlikely that<br />ratings would cause its cancelation. Smollett, a reoccurring actor<br />on the show, has recently been indicted<br />on 16 felony charges for filing a false <br />police report. Production believes the fate of ‘Empire’<br />rests on the outcome of his case. Smollett is already confirmed to have been removed from the final two episodes of season five. It’s likely that even if the show<br />gets renewed, FOX executives<br />will not allow Smollett to<br />return to his role. ‘Empire’ has been on a midseason hiatus for<br />over two months and will return to TV<br />on Wednesday, March 13.
