Empire strikes back.

Despite web rumors that the show "Empire" will be signing on liberal liar Jussie Smollett for the next season, co-creator Lee Daniels is now on record saying Smollett will not be allowed to return.  That's it for Smollett.  His gig at Empire is now officially over and so is his whole acting career.  From here he begins a downward spiral, runs out of money and eventually becomes another victim of drugs and alcohol.

If Smollett thought his life was hard he's about to figure out what a hard life looks like.  All of his support will dwindle and collapse.  He will end up having to pay Chicago back for the cost of his investigation and then eventually someone is going to bring him up on new charges and he will then go down hard on that conviction.  There is no way Chicago PD is just going to let Smollett thumb his nose at them.  They will get him sooner or later because they will be watching him and gunning for him.

Personally don't care what happens to Smollett going forward and wouldn't begrudge him if he could turn this mess around.  In fact, it would be quite a miracle.  But I think the odds of pulling this dropped cell phone out of the toilet without leaving a lasting smell are approximately zero.  Smollett didn't just violate the law and he didn't just try to fan the racial flames for his own benefit, he also put the very future of his entire cast and crew and everyone associated with Empire in jeopardy of losing a good thing.  He pretty much deserves whatever he gets at this point.