Empire's Lee Daniels Defends Terrence Howard, Announces Spinoff

Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Trai Byers, Jussie Smollett, and Bryshere “Yazz” Gray take the cover of THR‘s latest issue!

Here’s what the cast had to share with the mag:

Taraji, on Cookie’s appeal: “So after however many years I’ve been in this business, I finally have Hollywood’s attention.”

Lee Daniels, on the possibility of an Empire spinoff: “It’s coming…without question.”

Lee, on Terrence Howard and his troubles with the law: “That poor boy [Terrence] ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f�”in’ demon. That’s a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America.”

For more from the cast of Empire, visit THR.com. Bigger cover inside…