Empire

Greg Louganis says if President Trump had any spine he would denounce Jussie Smollett's MAGA attackers ... but adds, for obvious reasons, he ain't expecting it.

We got the Olympic diving legend at LAX Wednesday and got his take on the battle cry Jussie says his attackers used -- "MAGA country!" The remark immediately politicized the heinous attack on Jussie and, earlier this week, Rev. Al Sharpton told us POTUS needs to speak out against the hate-fueled attack on the "Empire" star.

"Empire" star Jussie Smollett didn't want to be encumbered by an entourage of bodyguards when he wasn't working ... despite an offer by Fox a week before the brutal attack.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... security for the "Empire" cast was increased last week after Fox Studios, in Chicago, received that threatening, homophobic letter addressed to Smollett.

We're told Fox made the call to beef up security for everyone on set and wanted to give Jussie additional protection around the clock ... but, he declined. Our sources say he made the decision to not have extra security during off-hours because it was an intrusive way of living.

We broke the story ... the actor was brutally attacked by 2 men in Chicago after he arrived late Monday from New York, and made a 2 AM run to Subway for food. The 2 men -- both white and wearing ski masks -- beat Jussie, put a rope around his neck and poured bleach on him. As they left the injured actor, the men screamed, "MAGA country."

Our "Empire" production sources tell us Jussie will have 24/7 armed security going forward ... at least until the 2 thugs are apprehended.

Smollett missed shooting on Tuesday as he recovered from his injuries, but we're told he plans to return soon, and the show will go on as planned ... although, the shooting schedule will be reshuffled to accommodate Jussie.

Chicago cops are still investigating the incident. The FBI continues to investigate the threatening letter containing the racist and homophobic slurs. Both agencies are trying to determine if the letter and the attack are connected.

4:00 PM PT -- Chicago PD confirms to TMZ Jussie told them, in a follow-up interview, about the attackers yelling, "MAGA country."

They add Jussie still had the rope around his neck when he made contact with cops at 2:42 AM. Remember, the attack happened around 2 AM.

12:43 PM PT -- Sources connected to production tell us Jussie and the rest of the main "Empire" cast members will have armed security going forward while they continue shooting in Chicago.

Lee Daniels briefly posted, but then deleted, a screen grab from a FaceTime he had with Jussie while he was in the hospital.

11:10 AM PT -- "Empire" creator Lee Daniels just expressed his outrage and horror over the attack.

11:18 AM PT -- We're told cops recently visited a Target Department Store close to where the incident happened and obtained surveillance footage. Our source says the video shows one person -- presumably Jussie -- walking down the street. Officers also visited a nearby apartment building to ask for video.

11:20 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us the FBI was already investigating the letter sent to Jussie last week containing racist and homophobic slurs.

11:10 AM PT -- Fox just issued this statement ... "We are deeply saddened and outraged to learn that a member of our EMPIRE family, Jussie Smollett, was viciously attacked last night. We send our love to Jussie, who is resilient and strong, and we will work with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice. The entire studio, network and production stands united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate -- and especially against one of our own."

10:30 AM PT -- "Empire" staff held an emergency meeting Tuesday morning in Chicago to tell everyone what happened to Jussie. We're told the cast and crew were extremely upset. Several actors were already in their trailers getting ready to shoot when they got the news.

We're told there was a discussion about getting extra security on set while shooting. They have a handful of episodes left to shoot for the current season.

"Empire" star Jussie Smollett was brutally attacked by 2 men who beat him up, put his head in a noose and screamed, "This is MAGA country."

Sources directly connected to Jussie tell TMZ, the actor arrived in Chicago from New York late Monday, and at around 2 AM he was hungry and went to a Subway. We're told when shortly after he walked out on his way home, someone yelled, "Aren't you that f***ot 'Empire' n*****?"

The 2 men -- both white and wearing ski masks -- viciously attacked Jussie as he fought back, but they beat him badly and fractured a rib. They put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him and as they left they yelled, "This is MAGA country."

Jussie took himself to Northwestern Memorial where he was treated. He was discharged later Tuesday morning.

ThatGrapeJuice.Net first posted this letter which was sent to Fox Studios in Chicago with cut out letters spelling, "You will die black f**." Our sources say the letter was sent 8 days ago.

The envelope the letter arrived in appears to say MAGA in the upper left corner.

Chicago PD tells us they are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, and they are canvasing the area for any video.

Terrence Howard wants another go-around at marriage life with his ex-wife, Mira Pak ... so he proposed to her over the weekend and she said yes!!!

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the "Empire" star popped the question Sunday night at Crustacean Beverly Hills in front of friends and family. They were all dressed for the occasion ... Terrence dapper as usual and Mira in an elegant gown.

Mira's main accessory was a doozy ... a beautiful 7-carat VVS diamond and rose gold engagement ring commissioned by celeb jeweler Ben Baller. We're told the ring is worth about a million bucks.

After the proposal, Terrence gave an emotional toast in front of Mira and her friends ... saying, "It took me 45 years to find you but now that I have you in my 50th year, I will spend the rest of eternity at your side."

Terrence and Mira go way back -- they were married in 2013 but she filed for divorce in 2015 while she was pregnant with the couple's first kid, Qirin. They rekindled earlier this year and sparks flew again like never before.

This isn't the first time Terrence has married an ex-wife. You'll recall he married Lori McCommas in 1989. They divorced in 2003 but they got married again in 2005 ... only to divorce 2 years later. Terrence was also briefly married to Michelle Ghent from 2010 to 2013.

Here come some feel-good vibes, courtesy of "Empire" star Jussie Smollett, who is donating a ton of cash to charities heading into the holidays.

We're told Jussie is taking proceeds from his tour and latest album, "Sum Of My Music," and passing along $125,000 to charities supporting his most beloved causes.

Jussie is paying it forward to groups like the Black AIDS Institute, Flint KIDS, South Africa's SKY Foundation, the Trayvon Martin Foundation, the Human Rights Campaign, Know Your Rights Camp, ACLU and the Anthony Burrell Dance School.

Jussie, who plays Jamal Lyon on "Empire," is no stranger to good deeds.

As we reported ... he recently hooked up a double amputee, 6-year-old Kayden Kinckle, with a handicapped-accessible van in a tearjerker of a surprise.

This tearjerker comes courtesy of "Empire" star Jussie Smollett, who just made life a little easier for a double amputee -- and if crying's your thing ... grab some tissues.

Jussie -- who plays Cookie and Lucious Lyon's son, Jamal, on "Empire" -- met up with 6-year-old Kayden Kinckle to deliver a handicapped-accessible van ... but first, he met Kayden's fam at a hotel, setting up the big surprise.

The reveal did not disappoint -- the look on Kayden's face when he sees the van is kinda everything. Kayden got a quick lesson on how to work his new ramp, prompting Jussie to say, "It's gonna be just like a chariot for the Pharaoh."

The timing of the gift couldn't come at a better time ... we're told Kayden's about to get new legs and the van will help him and his family get around.

Terrence Howard is gonna have to fork over close to $1 million in back spousal support ... that's if his ex-wife gets her way in court.

Terrence's ex-wife, Michelle Ghent, filed legal docs asking the court to make the "Empire" star cut her a check for at least $909,418 in back spousal support ... claiming Terrence has been dragging his feet since he lost an appeal about the issue back in October.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Michelle says she's spent at least $820k in legal fees to get Terrence to pay up, so she wants him to also pony up that dough for her lawyers. What's more ... Michelle wants a judge to get Terrence to stop dodging the tab ... claiming he's essentially hiding his "Empire" money. She claims he's made almost $9.7 million for "Empire" over the last 5 years, so it's only fair he pay up.

The judge will decide how much Terrence has to pay in a September hearing.

The stars of "Empire" gave all 300 or so crew members a sweet jacket at the Season 4 wrap party, as a thank you for making the hit series possible ... TMZ has learned.

Taraji P. Henson, Andre Royo, Bryshere Y. Gray, Gabourey Sidibe, Jussie Smollett, Ta’Rhonda Jones and Terrence Howard all went in together to buy about 300 bomber jackets as gifts for the crew ... according to our "Empire" sources.

We're told the fly custom jackets are from Alpha Industries and go for $150 a pop, so if you do the math ... that's a lot of dough for the gifts. Each person who got one also received a tag from the cast saying, "With Love & Appreciation..."

Our sources say the cast hands out wrap gifts after every season ... last year the crew got onesies.

Lee Daniels thinks his hit show "Empire" has helped cure hip-hop's homophobia and it won't be long before a gay rapper dominates the real charts.

Daniels was on "Larry King Live" this week where he told King he thinks his show has "made gays okay” in the hip-hop world.

For those who don't watch Empire... a big part of the plotline is the relationship struggle between hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon and his gay son, Jamal, who's an aspiring musician.

Morocco Omari's mug shot looks worlds away from his gig on "Empire" ... where he's usually the one taking in the suspects.

Morocco -- who plays FBI agent Tariq Cousins on the show -- was arrested and booked last Wednesday in Chicago for misdemeanor domestic battery after he allegedly pushed a woman to the ground several times.

The 24-year-old victim claims she suffered scratches to her neck and chest, which were enough for cops to take him in.

Morocco denies the allegations.

Morocco tells us, "I am deeply saddened by the recent reports and want to say I do not condone nor participate in any forms of violence. While this is an ongoing legal matter, I am unable to further comment. Thank you to my friends, family and fans for your continued support."

His publicist, Tim Yates, calls the claims "blatantly false" and adds, "violence against women simply isn't in Omari's DNA." Yates is confident cops will vindicate his client.

Morocco Omari, an actor on "Empire" who plays Lucious' half-brother, has been arrested for allegedly brutalizing a woman ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us, a 24-year-old woman called 911 in Chicago Wednesday, claiming she and Omari were arguing when he pushed her to the ground several times. She said she suffered scratches to her neck and chest.

Cops arrived on scene at around 2:30 PM, apparently observed the injuries and arrested the actor.

Omari, who plays an FBI agent on the show, was booked for misdemeanor domestic battery.

Taraji P. Henson jokingly asked Nia Long if she was on her period after she went nuts on a fellow cast member ... and that's what set off their raging feud on the set of "Empire."

Production sources tell TMZ ... Nia showed up late shortly after beginning her stint on the show, prompting one of the male actors to joke, "Damn, why are you on black people time?"

We're told that sent Nia into a rage ... chewing the guy out. The actor told her it was just a joke but she continued berating him ... and that's when Taraji fired back -- "What are you, on your period? Is it that time, girlfriend?"

Things got super heated ... and it set the tone for a relationship that was barely civil. Taraji has always been super protective of the cast and crew and everyone was in her corner.

Nia Long was such a nightmare on the set of "Empire" ... the hair and makeup folks lodged an official complaint against her, and Nia also threatened to sue the show over an improper goodbye ... this according to well-placed production sources.

Multiple people -- cast, crew and production people -- tell TMZ Nia was disrespectful and unprofessional throughout her run on the show.

We broke the story ... Nia and Taraji P. Henson were at war with each other because Taraji was irate over the way Nia treated the staff, and it got so bad producers were trying to figure out how to shoot scenes with the two of them where each actress did their part separately. It was so tense neither would speak to the other.

The various sources are scoffing at Nia's reps, who claim the stories about the actress are made up. Our sources say there were numerous incidents, but 3 are still vivid.

-- Our sources say in the history of the show the hair and makeup people have only filed one formal complaint for mistreatment ... and that was against Nia. The hair and makeup people say she was extremely disrespectful ... at times deciding she didn't like her look at the last minute and then chewing them out. The sources say there have been numerous guest appearances on the show -- "from rappers to Demi Moore, and no complaints were lodged against anyone but Nia."

-- Our sources say Nia was "habitually late." They say Taraji and Terrence Howard would sometimes be waiting on set for 30 minutes and Nia was a no-show. Producers would finally use a stand-in for Nia so Taraji and Terrence could rehearse a scene.

-- It is custom on the set when guest stars finish their last scene for the Assistant Director to call it out ... "This is (name of actor) last scene," followed by a "thank you" and applause. When Nia did her last scene, Terrence was having some sort of allergic reaction and his lip began swelling. The A.D. was looking for Benadryl when Nia left. It's unclear if the A.D. was distracted or just didn't want to thank Nia, but we're told as Nia walked out she told someone in production she was going to sue the show because the "goodbye" was in her contract. Production sources say it was not in her contract.

We spoke with one actor on the show who said the experience was so unpleasant they would never work with her again.

We reached out to Nia's rep, who said, "We stand by our comments this morning that Nia has always, and continues to be, a consummate professional on set. In respect to her working relationships with the cast, she came onto this project, in the first place, because of her long-standing friendship and professional relationship with Terrence Howard."

Taraji P. Henson and Nia Long were at each other's throats on the set of "Empire" in such a big way ... producers almost had to shoot the scenes they were in together ... separately.

Multiple production sources tell TMZ, Nia was extremely rude to the people in hair, makeup and wardrobe -- something Nia's people strongly deny -- which pissed Taraji off something fierce.

We're told it got to the point they stopped speaking to each other when they were on set. Our sources say it was next to impossible to film the scenes they did together, and that's why they had actually blocked out how to shoot those scenes separately.

Nia played a recurring role in season 3, which has wrapped. Her character was an ex of Lucious Lyon, who was in the process of getting back with Cookie.

As for whether Nia will be back for season 4, our sources say no way in hell.

Nia's rep tells TMZ, "This story is complete nonsense. Throughout her long, established career, Nia has been nothing but a consummate professional treating all members of productions with respect."

The rep goes on, "This is nothing but another complete fabrication about a series that has been plagued by constant rumors of drama and misconduct."

Cookie's assistant on "Empire" proved she's got her back in real life too by taking a jab at 50 Cent's mental health ... on the heels of him trash talking Taraji P. Henson.

Ta'Rhonda Jones, who plays Porsha on the show, came on "TMZ Live" to talk about the new season ... and addressed Fiddy's repeated shots at "Empire." Her take on it was pretty awesome -- she went right after the rapper/TV producer and flat out called him a "weirdo."

Taraji already went back at 50 after he claimed "Empire" ratings were slipping -- but she was kinda gentle about it. High road. Ta'Rhonda, on the other hand, lit into him and then gave him some advice.

A couple of kids are trying to take down "Empire" -- or at least take some of the show's money -- for stopping them from getting an education ... behind bars.

The kids are teenage juvenile detention center inmates in Chicago ... and they say their home away from home was upset when Terrence Howard and Chris Rock swooped in last year to shoot scenes for season two's premiere episodes.

According to them all the kids at Cook Co. Juvenile Temporary Detention Center were put on lockdown -- held in cells and pods -- during nearly 2 weeks of shooting. While in lockdown, they had no access to the rec yard, library, and chapel ... and family visits were interrupted.

The teens say their education was turned upside down too because although teachers were sent to cells and pods ... they say the tutoring was not effective. As they put it, "This was 'school' in name only," and often times "chaotic."

The teen inmates have boned up on TV accounting too -- they point out the "Empire" episodes made a ton of cash ... up to $750k per 30 second commercial, and they want a cut. They've filed the class action suit against FOX, Cook County and the warden.