Smollett's character cut from 'Empire' episodes after arrest in hate crime case

Actor Jussie Smollett's character is being removed from the final two episodes of the hip-hop drama "Empire" after he was arrested and charged with staging a hoax hate crime attack on himself, show officials said on Friday. "We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of 'Jamal' from the final two episodes of the season," 20th Century Fox Television said in a statement.