VIDEO : Jussie Smollett's Character Cut From Empire's Final 2 Episodes

(CNN)The producers behind Fox's "Empire" have decided to remove actor Jussie Smollett's character from the final two episodes of the current season following his arrest this week. "The events of the past few weeks have been incredibly emotional for all of us," the statement said. Smollett had told police that on January 29 he was attacked by two people who yelled racist and homophobic slurs at him, tied a rope around his neck, and poured an unknown substance on him. His attorneys promised an "aggressive defense" in a statement issued after Cook County state's attorney's office approved a felony disorderly conduct charge against Smollett.