FOX Network And Empire Hit With Class Action Lawsuit

Viewers might’ve been glued to their screens during the first two episodes of Empire for season 2 after its remarkable success the previous season, concluding with a jaw dropping, two-hour finale. Little did they know what actually took place in order to film the scenes.

In season 2’s first two episodes, Lucious (Terrance Howard) was in a juvenile detention center, wearing an orange jumpsuit to match the other inmates and his role. But according to inmates who were serving time at Chicago’s Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, they were treated below standards while FOX took over their facility to shoot the show for three days, Deadline reports.

“The Fox Defendants deliberately encouraged the Government Defendants to improperly place the JTDC on lockdown during the filming of Empire, for commercial benefit,” says the lawsuit. “The actions, omissions, and conduct of the Defendants as set forth in this complaint were extreme and outrageous,” they later added.

According to the lawsuit, inmates were forced to stay in their pods, allowing them little access to the recreation center, chapel, classes, and the library. They were even restricted from their regular visitation rights.

The class action lawsuit was filed by two former residents of the juvenile center, and the network has yet to respond to the allegations.

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