About That Kiss On ‘Empire’
Empire, known for welcoming a who’s who of famous guest stars, featured cameos from Alicia Keys and Rosie O’Donnell Wednesday night, along with series co-creator Lee Daniels, who stepped out from behind the camera for a small role. Vivica A. Fox, who plays Cookie’s (Taraji P. Henson) older sister, also returned for the star-studded episode.
Alicia Keys took on the role of Skye Summers, a famous pop singer who, despite her fame, is itching to get away from mainstream music and looking to create more meaningful tunes, leading her to team up with Jamal (Jussie Smollett) to record a track for Lucious Lyon’s (Terrence Howard) Empire.
By the end of the episode, after making sweet, sweet sounds together, Skye and Jamal — who very publicly came out at the end of last season, and recently broke up with his long-term boyfriend after catching him cheating — locked lips by the piano.
“The writers were already breaking a story in which — shock of shocks — Jamal hooks up with a girl, after all he’s been through,” showrunner Ilene Chaiken tells Variety of the surprising storyline. “It’s a conversation that happens among gay people about sexual fluidity — about being devoutly gay, if you will, but there’s a spectrum. There are some folks who aren’t attracted to people of the opposite sex at all, but there are some gay folks who sometimes do find themselves unexpectedly and momentarily attracted. Especially when you’re involved in a creative endeavor, those sparks can flare up because when you do something creative with someone and it really catches fire, there’s just nothing sexier.”
Clearing up Jamal’s sexuality, Chaiken adds, “We’re very clear that Jamal is gay and Jamal is clear that he’s gay, but it just happened. Isn’t personal agency all about being able to act on something in the moment and owning yourself and not having to explain it or justify it?”
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20 Comments
ken
November 28, 06:05Wow! I remember when I had sex with my gf for the first time…it was hot, it was passionate, it was sweaty…
It was a nightmare! 🙂
JBoy
November 28, 06:49I like the last line, Ken.
I love you and the twist.
Mandy
November 28, 07:01What my antigay friend sent to me last night:
‘I watched Empire last night and was surprised to see that Jussie Smollet saw Alicia Keys and started reconsidering his gay status. Lmao. They should go through with his transformation o. Too much gay happening on TV these days.’
*sigh* Well, Jamal, are you turning straight on us?
Pink Panther
November 28, 07:03Hopefully this won’t be Lee Daniels trying to pull a Quantico on us. Well, on those who watch Empire actually.
Mitch
November 28, 07:13Really? Like the twists in that hot mess aren’t giving Lee and his team a headache already?
And that Chaiken bitch trying to justify such idiocy sounds like a dim-witted individual trying hard to come across as smart
Dick Advocate
November 28, 07:44I haven’t seen the Episode but I can only imagine how Hot the kiss would have been. Jamal and Alicia Keys. hmmm!
Wish Jamal could be Bisexual really.
We are the luckiest sets of humans on earth. To be able to comfortable feel love from both sexes is just plain Divine.
posh6666
November 28, 07:51Lol really cock advocate? Honestly sometimes i do imagine wat it will feel like being able to fuck both boys n girls…..As for Jamal that kiss was just a heat of the moment kinda thing,he’s too gay to be bisexual oh shoot he actually fucked a girl once and she claimed he was the father of her baby girl in S1.
#Chestnut
November 28, 08:23U WISH Jamal could be bisexual? That’s a first on KD,lol. Any particular reason why?
Kenny
November 28, 08:05Did you watch season 1 well? Cos she later came clean and told him the sex didn’t actually happen. Twas Luscious that slept with her
posh6666
November 28, 08:10Oh really?i knew she later told him it wasnt his child thats why i used the word “claimed” but i dont even knw how come i missed the part she said it was Luscious who slept with her tnx tho.
Duke
November 28, 08:35I actually felt some kind of way after that kiss, let’s see how it goes.
Chizzie
November 28, 08:55Im really surprised that Ilene Chaiken is involved in this crap that is Empire especially since she’s been known for such good and iconic shows, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and the L -Word which is still the most successful main screen LGBT show. So really its disappointing, but I guess we all have our career lows
bashir
November 28, 10:37Oh lawd!! What is wrong wit a gay guy kissing a girl?….. Jamal cried…and sang thru out S1 about how gay he is!! He never doubted himself, but still that can’t stop him from crushing or having an harmless admiration for a person of opposite sex!!…that lead to that situation.
Ruby
November 28, 11:41Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
iamcoy
November 28, 13:11I knew this would end up here and people would go how he has broken ‘the gay brother code’, well what the show is trying to reestablish is that sexuality is a spectrum and the fact that you are gay does not mean you can’t be remotely attracted to the opposite sex. Do google ‘kinsey scale’, it could help
GAG
November 28, 15:47The way they ended it was perfect…. will Jamal be straight now, will Alicia Keys have a recurring role like Naomi Campbell??? Pls vist justgagging.blogspot.com
Masonkz
November 28, 21:12The producers of Empire are confused.
Django
November 29, 14:35I swear down.
It’s okay for homophobic luscious to lock lips with a lesbian, but the lesbian can’t even stand another girl’s touch after locking lips with a homophobe? And why did this producers allow Luscious to raise his voice at the woman on the other end of the call after he locked lips with that lesbian?
Male superiority, if you ask me, and I’m pained a homophobe had to get away with all that shit.
That was the last episode of empire I watched. I swore never to watch Lee Daniel joke about my sexuality ever again.
I take my lesbianism very seriously.
Marc Francis of Chelsea
November 29, 04:11Sigh. Dynasty’s Steven Carrington all over again. I gave up on this show the moment Cookie dressed in a gorilla costume and entered a cage.
Max
November 29, 20:34Calm down everyone, it was just a kiss.?