The announcement of <person>Smollett</person>'s removal from the season's final two episodes comes more than a week after <person>Strong</person>, one of the show's co-creators, tweeted that there was no chance that the actor would be written off. The tweet came on Feb. 14, days before <person>Smollett</person> was charged.
"There is 0% truth that @<person>JussieSmollett</person> was going to be written off of Empire. This rumor is totally false. He is the third lead and one of the most beloved characters on the show. Writing him off the show has NEVER even been discussed," <person>Strong</person> tweeted at the time.
On Thursday, <person>Smollett</person> was charged with felony disorderly conduct and a Chicago judge set <person>Smollett</person>'s bond at $100,000 and ordered the actor to surrender his passport.