“It’s time for change,” declared former Empire star Terrence Howard today as he announced his lawsuit against CAA for allegedly taking advantage of him financially during the show’s successful six-season run. In a press conference held at The Cochran Firm, Howard accused his former agency of engaging in a lucrative packaging deal with the creators and producers of the hip hop soap opera. According to Howard and his legal team, this deal resulted in him being underpaid despite the show’s immense success.
“I trusted CAA to look after me, and they looked after themselves,” Howard expressed his disappointment. At its peak, Empire brought in approximately $100 million in advertising revenue for Fox, and Howard believes he played a significant role in generating that wealth through his portrayal of the ruthless hip-hop mogul Lucious Lyon on screen, as well as his contributions behind the scenes in music and script development for the show.
“There was so much wealth,” Howard remarked about the success of Empire and his knowledge that CAA represented multiple parties involved in the show. He assumed that everyone would share in the profits, but that wasn’t the case. Despite his central role and behind-the-scenes work, Howard claimed he never received the compensation or recognition typically given to white actors in similar positions. His attorney, Carlos Moore, boldly stated that evidence would reveal this to be a case of racism.
Taking inspiration from the Writers Guild of America’s successful legal battle against packaging by agencies in 2021, Howard’s breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit is expected to be filed in LA Superior Court later today. CAA, the agency Howard left in 2019, has not yet responded to requests for comment. We will provide updates if and when they do.
As an Oscar nominee and a familiar face in both controversy and the courts, Howard remained with Empire for its entire six-season run. The show premiered on January 7, 2015, and quickly became a massive hit, attracting 10 million viewers from the start. The audience grew to a staggering 17 million for the Season 1 finale. However, ratings began to decline significantly around Season 3, and when Empire concluded on April 21, 2020, it had just under 3 million viewers.
Howard acknowledged that this legal action against CAA could potentially have a detrimental impact on his career. He revealed the challenges he faced in finding legal representation for this case and another related to Empire, particularly due to the control of the property by certain entities. “There are two types of lawyers in LA, and pretty much in the world,” Howard explained. “Those who work for Disney, and those who want to work for Disney. The conflicts of interest were there.”
Currently represented by Independent Artists Group and managed by Universal Bridges’ Mira Howard, Terrence Howard is determined to seek justice and bring about the change he believes is necessary in the industry.
