The past few weeks have been “a freakin’ rollercoaster” for the cast and crew of “Empire” as they continue to deal with the Jussie Smollett situation, according to Lee Daniels, the show’s co-creator and executive producer.
“Me and my cast have experienced pain and anger and sadness and frustration and really don’t know how to deal with it,” Daniels explained in an Instagram video on Wednesday night, which was posted before the airing of a new “Empire” episode.
“Everything has happened — what you are seeing tonight — prior to the incident,” he said. “And this is not what the show was made for. The show was made to bring America together to talk about the atrocities that are happening right now in the streets.”
Daniels never refers to Smollett by name, but the video appears to be a veiled description of what the “Empire” set has been like in the wake of his arrest.
The 36-year-old actor has been charged with felony disorderly conduct for allegedly faking a hate crime — on himself — and reporting it to police. Daniels has come to his defense before, but had been choosing to remain silent in recent weeks.
“I was so in my feelings last week that I forgot to post about @empire,” Daniels wrote on IG. “I guess y’all know why.”
Smollett has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. He is due back in court April 17.