Lee Daniels is "beyond embarrassed" over his initial public support of Jussie Smollett, but admits feeling "torture" over the Empire star

Vulture

The Empire co-creator posted an emotional Instagram video in response to Smollett's alleged attack in January, saying: "You didn’t deserve nor anybody deserves to have a noose put around your neck, to have bleach thrown on you, to be called ‘die f*ggot n*gga’ or whatever they said to you." Last week, Daniels confirmed Smollett won't return to Empire. In extensive conversation with Vulture, Daniels was asked about his initial reaction to the alleged Smollett attack. "I’m beyond embarrassed," Daniels responded. "I think that 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." But Daniels admits there is "some doubt" over the police contention that Smollett made up the attack. "Of course, there’s some doubt," he says. "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 been so painful. It was a flood of pain." Daniels also admits "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." Daniels was also asked about past accusations that Terrence Howard hit women on six separate occasions. "I have no comment. I have nothing really to say about that," he said.

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• Lee Daniels says he is troubled by Fox canceling so many shows with black leads: “Clearly, there’s obvious stuff going on,” Daniels said when Vulture pointed to Fox's recent cancelations of black-led shows Lethal Weapon, Rel, Proven Innocent, The Cool Kids and his show Star. “I think it’s very obvious. I was disturbed by it. But I don’t think Empire had anything to do with (a possible whitewashing of the network). Empire sort of lives in its own space at Fox, but I do question the agenda. Any fool could sure see where that’s going.”