Empire co-star Malik Yoba has spoken out after he reportedly made claims that his co-star Jussie Smollett is homosexual.

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Yoba seemed to confirm questions that many fans were asking about Smollett considering he plays a gay character on the juggernaut series. But now he's backtracked and said his quote was taken out of context.

In a statement released to USA Today, Yoba said, "I was misquoted in the article. My reference to Jussie was only about his character and storyline on Empire."

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Yoba's statement comes just days after he did an interview and made a comment that many believed was his confirmation that Smollett was gay.

He said, "So, obviously, Lee (Daniels, co-creator) is gay. That was an important storyline for him. I think it's important for people to see themselves. Even within the Black community. But if you aren't really, really taking it off of screen and making it live in the community in a significant way ... like I know Jussie, he is gay, and he's very committed to issues around the LGBT community. He and I have a very close relationship."

Smollett has yet to respond to Yoba's claims. But not too long ago he made it clear to Sway In The Morning radio show that he does not want to discuss his sexuality as he believes it will take away from the focus of the show.

"No, (fans shouldn't assume I'm gay), but it's also fair, and I don't see a problem with that and I don't really care. ... This is not a gay black show. This is a show about human experiences. ... I'm not willing to confirm or deny anything. I live my life. If someone is looking for a box to put me in, that's not going to happen."

Check out his full interview below.

Tags
Empire Show, Fox, Television