If you’re still riding the Empire train, then you know that a huge bomb was dropped following Wednesday night’s episode. During the show, Freda Gathers (spoiler alert) shot fan favorite Jussie Smollett, aka Jamal Lyon, in an attempt to kill Lucious after she discovered that he'd killed her father. Unfortunately, the bullet never made its way to Lucious and struck Jamal instead. The episode ended with Jamal in the ICU after being wounded. Many viewers sat on the edge of their seats, unsure whether Jamal would survive.
However, after the episode, Smollett took to Twitter to send a cryptic message suggesting his character’s death and an overall departure from the show.
Many fans, along with cast mate Gabourey Sidibe, were left shocked and confused by the news.
Is this a publicity stunt to get fans talking about Empire again, or is there more tension behind the scenes of the Empire production? If you remember, rumors floated around a few months ago that Trai Byers (Andre Lyon) wanted out from the show.
If Smollett is gone for good, we wonder how the show will continue to hold up following his departure. Either way, we wish him all the best!
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Kimberly Wilson is the social media editor at The Root. Follow her on Twitter.