Photo Credit: Chicago Police Department
The problems at the now canceled Empire have gone beyond Jussie Smollett and the now grope happy Cuba Gooding, Jr. to Bryshere Gray who plays Smollett’s brother on the show. It’s now been revealed that he was driving without a license, or insurance last Thursday in Chicago when he was pulled over and arrested. Now Gray was driving his 2015 Rolls Royce and for him to be driving that as a black man to begin with and expect not to be bothered by the police is the epitome of being unaware of his surroundings. Police soon discovered that his tags didn’t match the car and he had no insurance or license. I mean, dude… Uber is cheaper than that. Seriously. He was arrested and released later that day on misdemeanor charges.
Now just why would Gray take such a chance risking getting arrested? It’s the same reason Cuba Gooding, Jr. got drunk and started grabbing breasts last weekend. This is what happened when it was announced Game of Thrones was getting canceled. Kit Harrington started acting up and by the end of the show ended up in rehab. This is what this cast is doing. They’re one by one spazzing out. Now Taraji P. Henson appeared before Congress to discuss mental health, so she seems to be fine. Then again, she’s speaking about mental health and even though she’s working in an advocacy role, you do have to make a mental note when people discuss the subject because it could be a sign of something they’re experiencing. But for now, she’s fine.
The show’s co-creator Lee Daniels has blamed the canceling of Empire on the Smollett situation and has given an interview with Vulure to discuss how it all played out. “I’m beyond embarrassed. I think when it happened, I had a flash of me running from bullies. I had a flash of my whole life, of my childhood, my youth, getting beaten.” He says he didn’t keep up with the local news in Chicago because he was too busy “putting out fires,” and said if in fact Smollett did lie, it would be a major betrayal. Keep in mind he confirmed last week Smollett would not be appearing in the final season.
“Of course, there’s some doubt,” Daniels said. “I’m telling you that because I love him so much. That’s the torture that I’m in right now, because it’s literally if it were to happen to your son and your child, how would you feel? You would feel, ‘Please God, please let there be that glimmer of hope that there is some truth in this story.’ That’s why it’s so painful. It was a flood of pain.”
“We weren’t there,” Daniels said. “I can’t judge him. That’s only for the … lady or man with that black robe and God. I had to detach myself and stop calling him because it was taking away the time I have for my kids, the time I have for my partner. It was affecting my spirit and other shows, everything.”
And as for Bryshere Gray, we’re hoping this is not a sign of things to come for him. He and Smollett had promising careers and one messed theirs up. He doesn’t need to go and do the same.
