Lee Danielssays theEmpirecast has “experienced pain and anger” after starJussie Smollettallegedly staged his attack in a purported hate crime.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Daniels, 59, told fans in a video that he was “back and I’m finally ok” in the wake of the incident at the end of January, when Smollett — who stars as main character Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama — claimedtwo masked men attacked him and used racist and homophobic slurs.
“I’m back. Oh my God, these past couple of weeks have been a freakin’ roller coaster,” began the show’s creator, who firstspoke outabout the alleged incident shortly after the news broke nearly two months ago.
“Me and my cast have experienced pain and anger and sadness and frustration and really don’t know how to deal with it. You know?” Daniels said in the video.
“‘Cause it happened, everything has happened, what you are seeing tonight, prior to the incident,” he said, noting the upcoming episode. “And this is not what the show was made for.”
Daniels concluded, “The show was made to bring America together, to talk about the atrocities that are happening right now in the streets.”
Paul Archuleta/Getty Images; Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
“Jussieadamantly maintains his innocenceeven if law enforcement has robbed him of that presumption,” his attorney, Mark Geragos, said in a statement released to PEOPLE after those indictments were announced.
Jussie Smollett.Stephen Lovekin/Variety/REX/Shutterstock
Representatives for Smollett did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment at the time.
Smollett and his legal team previously said they are gearing up to launch an “aggressive defense,” according to his attorneys Todd Pugh and Victor Henderson.
“Like any other citizen, Mr. Smollett enjoys the presumption of innocence, particularly when there has been an investigation like this one where information, both true and false, has been repeatedly leaked,” Pugh and Henderson said in a statement given to PEOPLE. “Given these circumstances, we intend to conduct a thorough investigation and to mount an aggressive defense.”
If Smollett is found guilty, falsifying a police report is a Class 4 felony which carries a potential sentence of up to three years in prison.
WATCH: The Brothers Who Allegedly Helped Stage the Attack on Jussie Smollett Issue Apology
After being arrested and quickly posting a bond that allowed his release from jail last month,Smollett returned to the Chicago set ofEmpire. His character on the show, however, has beenremoved from the final two episodesof season 5 to “avoid further disruption on set,” the Fox show’s executive producers previously said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Smollett’s costarTaraji P. Hensonbriefly touched on the scandalat the premiere of her new movie,The Best of Enemies.
“You have to stay strong, stay positive, full of hope,” Henson, 48, toldExtrain New York City on Sunday, adding that her costars on the Fox show are “strong.”
Empireairs Wednesdays (8 p.m. ET) on Fox.
source: people.com
