Jussie Smollett Charges Dropped: What It Means For 'Empire' Actor

Jussie Smollett has been making headlines since his February arrest for disorderly conduct after being accused of arranging a homophobic, racist attack against himself, but on Tuesday, the "Empire" actor's 16 felony charges were dropped and his case dismissed by prosecutors.

On Twitter early Tuesday morning, a video surfaced of the 36-year-old TV star making an "emergency" court appearance in a Chicago. When stopped by reporters, representatives for his legal team said there would be a "huge" announcement later in the day.

It was soon after revealed that Smollett is no longer facing criminal charges. His legal team said in a statement, "Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him."

They added, in part, "Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement."

Now, fans are curious to know about his future with "Empire." In February, the producers of the Fox hit show dropped Smollett’s Jamal character from the final episodes of the latest season, reportedly due to the “disruption” caused by his arrest.

“Jussie has been an important member of our ‘Empire’ family for the past five years and we care about him deeply,” show creator Lee Daniels and other producers said in a statement at the time. “While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out.”

After his arrest, it was alleged by Chicago police that Smollett faked the attack in order to raise his profile and receive a salary increase on the show. Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett was “dissatisfied with his salary” and “took advantage of the pain and anger of racism to promote his career.”

While Smollett's future on the show has remained unclear in recent week, the official Twitter account for the writers behind "Empire" retweeted a statement from "the Smollett family" in support of him on Tuesday, stating he had been "falsey blammed for his own attack."