Smollett Apologizes To Cast, Maintains His Innocence

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports:

When Jussie Smollett called the cast and crew of the television show “Empire” together Thursday night, they were expecting the actor to come clean about what really happened, a person at the meeting told CNN. Smollett did apologize to his coworkers for any embarrassment they might have felt since the story began.

But then, to the shock and dismay of the person who attended the meeting, Smollett stuck to his story of innocence. For the most part, the source said, he paraphrased what was in the statement that his attorney put out that afternoon, blaming the legal system and the media for his woes.

CNN reports:



After his arrest Thursday, the studio and network released another statement. “We understand the seriousness of this matter and we respect the legal process,” 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Entertainment said in a statement to CNN on Thursday. “We are evaluating the situation and we are considering our options.”

Smollett is “on hold” for Friday’s shoot, per the production schedule that was recently released to cast and crew. The filming of the season finale episode of Empire is in progress this week and next week.