Jussie Smollett makes his FINAL appearance on Empire and signs off with the first ever black gay wedding on network TV after co-stars lobby for the return of the disgraced actor
- Jussie Smollett was charged in February by a Chicago grand jury of staging a fake hate crime
- But the charges were dropped by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office
- Lee Daniels, the co-creator of Empire, announced that Smollett's character, Jamal Lyon, would be cut from the final two episode of this season
- Smollett's co-stars, including Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard, signed a letter urging show's producers to bring Smollett back during sixth season
Jussie Smollett made his final appearance this season on Empire after his co-stars earlier Wednesday released an open letter on behalf of the embattled actor.
The 36-year-old entertainer who has been portraying gay musician Jamal Lyon on Empire since 2015 walked down the aisle during the episode in the first gay wedding featuring two black characters on network TV.
Smollett was charged in February by a grand jury in Chicago with filing a false police report after allegedly staging a fake hate crime.
![Final episode: Jussie Smollett made his final appearance this season on Empire on Wednesday after his co-stars released an open letter pleading for his return to the show](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/02/12687304-6957359-image-m-2_1556154519869.jpg)
Final episode: Jussie Smollett made his final appearance this season on Empire on Wednesday after his co-stars released an open letter pleading for his return to the show
![Smollett is seen alongside co-star Taraji P Henson on Wednesday's episode of Empire](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/05/12690804-6957359-image-a-15_1556165318209.jpg)
Smollett is seen alongside co-star Taraji P Henson on Wednesday's episode of Empire
Empire co-creator Lee Daniels, 59, issued a statement with the show's executive producers in February saying that Smollett's character would be cut from the final two episodes of the fifth season after he was hit with criminal charges, which were later dropped by prosecutors.
Smollett's character has been hailed for its positive portrayal of a black gay man on television.
Jamal in the season five episode titled Never Doubt I Love was shown ahead of his wedding to Kai Givens, who is played by Toby Onwumere.
An interviewer at the start of the episode asked about their relationship and Kai said what he loved most about Jamal was likely unable to print.
![Gay wedding: The episode featured the first gay wedding featuring two black characters on network TV as Smollett's character Jamal Lyon married Kai Givens, who is played by Toby Onwumere](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/03/12688752-6957359-image-a-6_1556159155820.jpg)
Gay wedding: The episode featured the first gay wedding featuring two black characters on network TV as Smollett's character Jamal Lyon married Kai Givens, who is played by Toby Onwumere
![Smollett is seen right in a scene alongside Terrence Howard, who plays lead character Lucious Lyon](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/05/12691248-6957359-image-m-20_1556166528939.jpg)
Smollett is seen right in a scene alongside Terrence Howard, who plays lead character Lucious Lyon
![Jamal and Kai tie the knot during the historic episode on the Fox network on Wednesday](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/05/12691240-6957359-image-a-19_1556166523708.jpg)
Jamal and Kai tie the knot during the historic episode on the Fox network on Wednesday
![TV history: The 36-year-old entertainer who has been portraying gay musician Jamal on Empire since 2015 married Kai in the season five episode titled Never Doubt I Love](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/02/12687268-6957359-image-a-3_1556154530577.jpg)
TV history: The 36-year-old entertainer who has been portraying gay musician Jamal on Empire since 2015 married Kai in the season five episode titled Never Doubt I Love
Jamal then interjected saying, 'We have a very real opportunity to inspire the next generation'.
The interviewer then surprised the couple by bringing up an anonymous tip that the wedding had been called off because Kai was hiding his HIV-positive status from Jamal.
'We should control the narrative,' Jamal told his fiance Kai after they denied the rumor.
![Wedding rumor: Smollett's character Jamal dealt with a nasty rumor before his wedding to Kai](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/02/12687250-6957359-image-a-4_1556154537848.jpg)
Wedding rumor: Smollett's character Jamal dealt with a nasty rumor before his wedding to Kai
Smollett's co-stars earlier Wednesday released an open letter asking that he be allowed to return for season six of the show.
'Together, as a united front, we stand with Jussie Smollett and ask that our co-star, brother and friend be brought back for our sixth season of Empire,' read the letter, which was signed by Taraji P Henson, Terrence Howard, Bryshere Y Grey, Trai Byers, Gabourey Sidibe and Nicole Ari Parker.
The letter penned April 19 went on to praise Smollett's charity work and defend him against recent allegations, with the actors writing: 'He is kind. He is compassionate. He is honest and above all he is filled with integrity. He is also innocent and no longer subject to legal uncertainty with the criminal charges against him having been dropped.'
![Open letter: The actor's co-stars earlier Wednesday released an open letter asking that he be allowed to return for season six of the show](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/04/12687284-6957359-Open_letter_The_actor_s_co_stars_earlier_Wednesday_released_an_o-a-13_1556163681073.jpg)
Open letter: The actor's co-stars earlier Wednesday released an open letter asking that he be allowed to return for season six of the show
![Henson, who plays Smollett's character's mother, was among the co-stars who signed the letter of support for the actor](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/05/12690800-6957359-image-a-16_1556165353337.jpg)
Henson, who plays Smollett's character's mother, was among the co-stars who signed the letter of support for the actor
Their appeal came just a few hours after Daniels appeared on the Fox morning show Good Day New York and said that Smollett faced an uncertain future on the show due to his lawsuit with the city of Chicago.
Daniels was among those who the letter was sent to, with the other recipients including: Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier, ABC Entertainment chair Dana Walden, Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn, and show producers Danny Strong, Brett Mahoney, Brian Grazer, Sanaa Hamri, Francie Calfo and Dennis Hammer.
The city of Chicago sued Smollett earlier this month for $130,105.15 to cover the cost of overtime paid investigating the alleged attack.
![Charges dropped: Smollett is shown leaving a courthouse in Chicago in March after it was announced that all charges were dropped against him](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/02/12687336-6957359-image-a-6_1556154575602.jpg)
Charges dropped: Smollett is shown leaving a courthouse in Chicago in March after it was announced that all charges were dropped against him
The actor told police that he was assaulted in the early morning January 29 by two men in ski masks who made racial and homophobic slurs while also putting a noose around his neck and pouring bleach on him.
The investigation later shifted to Smollett and he was charged with 16 felony charges that were dropped on March 26.
Smollett had to forfeit a $10,000 bond and was given credit for community service.
![The actor was spotted on Wednesday in New York City](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/05/12691004-0-image-a-17_1556165685473.jpg)
The actor was spotted on Wednesday in New York City
His Empire character Jamal was walked down the aisle by his father Lucious Lyon [Terrence Howard] who came to accept his son's homosexuality during Smollett's final episode of the season.
Jamal kissed Kai after exchanging vows and they jumped a broom together.
They danced in matching white tuxedo jackets during the wedding reception and kissed after their first dance as a married couple.
Smollett's final scene was at the reception with Taraji who plays his mother Cookie Lyon on the show.
![Jussie Smollett's final scene on Empire](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/03/12688556-6957359-image-m-4_1556158522509.jpg)
![Series star: Taraji P. Henson filmed a final scene with Smollett who plays her son](http://web.archive.org./web/20190425062831/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/25/04/12688558-6957359-Series_star_Taraji_P_Henson_filmed_a_final_scene_with_Smollett_w-a-14_1556163681096.jpg)
Last scene: Smollett's final scene this season was with Taraji P. Henson who plays his mother Cookie Lyon on the Fox show