The "Empire" set seems unaffected by Jussie Smollett's legal scandal. Jussie Smollett is at the center of one of the biggest scandals of the year so far, which says a lot considering R. Kelly and Michael Jackson's alleged sex crimes are back in headlines once again. Smollett's legal battle has already had an impact on his career -- his Empire character has already been written off the final two episodesof this season with his future on the show still up in the air. Despite the controversy, it appears as though it hasn't had much of an impact on the atmosphere on set. Taraji P. Henson spoke to ET recently about Empire and revealed that not much has changed on set since Jussie Smollett's controversy emerged in January. She explained that the set hasn't necessarily been impacted by the allegations surrounding Smollett, saying, "It's a great atmosphere." However, she didn't elaborate on anything else pertaining to the scandal. Henson further discussed what to expect from her character, Cookie Lyon, on the show. "Cookie's on a really emotional roller coaster this year," she said. "She's finding herself." Smollett did appear on the show's mid-season premiere this past weekend which received a mixed reaction. The episode was filmed before the singer's scandal erupted. However, the scandal may not only affect Smollett's future on the show but also, the rest of the cast. New reports emerged last week which revealed the future of the show is on the line with many fearing its cancelation due to the fact FOX has yet to renew the show for a sixth season.
