A little legal drama won’t get in the way of a good time.
Taraji P. Henson said the vibe on the set of “Empire” has remained unchanged despite Jussie Smollett‘s ongoing legal drama after he allegedly staged a racial and homophobic hate crime because he was dissatisfied with his salary.
“It’s a great atmosphere,” Henson told ET on Sunday.
Though Henson declined to directly address the accusations Smollett faces — he’s since pleaded not guilty to the 16 felony counts against him — Twitter users were filled with disappointment and fury upon seeing Smollett’s character back on the screen upon “Empire’s” midseason return.
(The episodes had finished filming well before his legal snafu began, though it’s been reported that he was written out of the season’s final two episodes.)
“I’m sorry it’s so hard for me to look at jussie without wanting to slap the s–t outta him #Empire,” a viewer tweeted.
“I’m just ready to see them write off Jamal #Empire,” a fan tweeted, alongside a gif of a woman glaring.
Prosecutors allege that Smollett — who is black and gay and plays the gay character Jamal Lyon on the hit Fox TV show — hired two pals to help stage the attack on him early on the morning of Jan. 29.