‘Empire’ Drama: Bombshell Reason Behind Naomi Campbell Decision Revealed, According To Insiders [Spoilers]


By the end of the latest episode of Empire, fans were left at the edge of their seats when Naomi Campbell was abruptly killed off off the show. For those who missed it, the latest episode, titled “A Rose By Any Other Name,” centered around Hakeem devising a plan to take down Camilla (Naomi Campbell) and her wife Mimi to regain full control of the empire. Hakeem managed to film a sex tape of one of his encounters with Camilla, where she openly admitted she only married Mimi to gain control of the empire.

Once the sex tape was made public, Mimi immediately began severing ties with Empire by selling stock. Camilla panicked and poured arsenic in a drink she’d given Mimi in an effort to kill her and maintain as much control of the empire as possible. But, unfortunately, she didn’t exactly get the chance to execute her sinister plan.

HOLLYWOOD, CA - JANUARY 06: Actor Bryshere Gray and Naomi Campbell attend the premiere of Fox's 'Empire' held at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on January 6, 2015 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CA – JANUARY 06: Actor Bryshere Gray and Naomi Campbell attend the premiere of Fox’s ‘Empire’ held at ArcLight Cinemas Cinerama Dome on January 6, 2015 in Hollywood, California. [Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images]
She was confronted by Lucious (Terrence Howard), held at gunpoint, and forced to drink the rest of the arsenic. The Empire episode ended as if Naomi Campbell’s character died of poisoning. But, was Naomi Campbell’s exit an original part of the script?

Just when it seemed Naomi Campbell was on the rise to power with her role as Camilla, things took an abrupt turn for the worse that many Empire fans may not have expected to happen so soon. Naomi Campbell seemed as if she’d be around much longer but, it is now being reported that her abrupt exit from Empire may have been a result of drama behind the scenes.

According to Radar Online, Naomi Campbell reportedly departed from Empire because of a legal battle that centers around a rift between her alleged boyfriend, Sean Penn, and Empire creator Lee Daniels. Apparently, Daniels and Penn are embroiled in an intense legal battle involving a $10 million lawsuit filed by Penn. Back in September 2015, Penn filed a defamation lawsuit against the Empire creator after he reportedly accused him of abusing women.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Daniels allegedly compared Penn to Empire star Terrence Howard, reported Huffington Post. “[Terrence] ain’t done nothing different than Marlon Brando or Sean Penn, and all of a sudden he’s some f***in’ demon,” Daniels told The Hollywood Reporter when previously asked about the Empire star’s domestic and legal problems. “That’s a sign of the time, of race, of where we are right now in America.”

As expected, the statement caused quite a stir that led to lots of confusion between the two. Since Naomi Campbell is rumored to be dating Sean Penn, her presence on Empire had reportedly become a conflict of interest. An insider reportedly told Radar Online that Sean Penn no longer wanted Naomi Campbell to appear on Empire due to Daniels’ negative comments about him. Although the situation between the two men has nothing to do with Naomi Campbell, her alleged relationship with him is reportedly seen as a conflict. “Sean wanted Naomi off the show,” the insider said. “So Empire complied—and had Camilla kill herself. Otherwise Naomi would have been on the show forever!”

However, a representative for Sean Penn has refuted those claims by insisting Naomi Campbell is only friends with the actor and their friendship had nothing to do with her departure from Empire. “This is entirely fabricated and untrue. Naomi’s a friend (not ‘girlfriend’) and Sean has never discussed her work in that show.” Naomi Campbell took to Twitter with a cryptic tweet shortly after the Empire episode aired.

Naomi Campbell suggested that Empire may not have seen the last of her, but producer Ilene Chaiken has made it clear that Naomi’s reign on Empire is, indeed, over. “It would have been great to be able to continue for longer, but it was time to say goodbye,” she said.

Were you surprised Naomi Campbell was killed off Empire? Share your thoughts.

[Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images]

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