This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Twentieth Century Fox television will remove Jussie Smollett’s character from the final two episodes of this season of the TV show Empire, after the actor was charged with making a false report to police alleging he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack.

Jussie Smollett staged attack because he was unhappy with salary, police say Read more

“While these allegations are very disturbing, we are placing our trust in the legal system as the process plays out,” Empire executive producers Lee Daniels, Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer said in a written statement.

“We are also aware of the effects of this process on the cast and crew members who work on our show and to avoid further disruption on set, we have decided to remove the role of Jamal from the final two episodes of the season.”

Smollett, who is black and gay, was arrested on Thursday and charged with lying to police about the allegedly faked attack on 29 January, during which he said two masked men struck him and put a noose round his neck.

Play Video 1:08 Jussie Smollett 'took advantage of the pain and anger of racism', say Chicago police – video

Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson said Smollett orchestrated the attack because he was unhappy with his salary on the show, and that he paid two brothers $3,500 to commit the supposed hate crime.

Police did not spell out how the 36-year-old actor had hoped to boost his salary by staging such a hoax. Before the attack, he also sent a letter that threatened him to the Chicago studio where Empire is shot, police said.

Prosecutors said Smollett gave detailed instructions to his accomplices, including telling them specific slurs to yell, urging them to shout “Maga country” – a slogan meant to echo supporters of Donald Trump – and even pointing out a surveillance camera that he thought would record the beating.

“I believe Mr Smollett wanted it on camera,” Johnson told reporters at a Thursday morning news conference. “But unfortunately that particular camera wasn’t pointed in that direction.”

Smollett’s legal team issued a statement on Thursday night, calling the actor a “man of impeccable character and integrity who fiercely and solemnly maintains his innocence”.

The statement called Johnson’s news conference “an organized law enforcement spectacle”.

“The presumption of innocence, a bedrock in the search for justice, was trampled upon at the expense of Mr Smollett,” it said.

If convicted, Smollett could face a prison sentence of one to three years.

Lawyers for Smollett did not immediately comment on Friday.