Terrence Howard is revealing some more shocking details about his lawsuit against Creative Artists Agency. As we previously reported, Howard is taking the talent agency to court over the salary he made for the hit television show, Empire. According to his attorney, James Bryant, Howard’s former agents gave the actor misleading information, which led to him being underpaid for his major role on Empire.
In a recent interview with Straight Talk, Howard said he’s owed $120 million because of a package deal CAA had with Fox, which resulted in him getting paid $325,000 an episode for “Empire,” while the “The Big Bang Theory” cast was paid $2 million to $3 million per episode, despite “Empire” having more viewers. He also revealed that when he approached the agency about his money he was sent a $666 dollar check in the mail.
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“$666 dollars exactly and not saying where it’s from so I was like oh y’all trying to threaten me. This is a threat right here, do y’all think I am scared? Do y’all think I’m going to be quiet about this? Because I wonder what you’re doing to every other black artist.”
Howard previously held a press conference when he first announced the news and also shared an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone. “I can’t say for certain this was a racial issue, but I can’t imagine another counterpart – a white counterpart – with the same accolades, name recognition and numbers that I had, receiving the lowball pay that I was receiving,” he told the news outlet.
“I drank the Kool-Aid. I believed that I was going to get paid, or that I was getting compensated properly, but I wasn’t. I just didn’t want to piss off CAA and Fox. They’re big companies to go to war against. But sooner or later you’ve got to stand up, because they’re just trampling over the rights of the artists,” he said to Rolling Stone. Howard says that though “Empire” eventually gained more viewers than “Big Bang Theory,” he was being paid less than the sitcom’s star Jim Parsons. His pay started at $125,000 and topped out at $325,000 per episode, he said.
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Empire, the groundbreaking American musical drama television series, took the entertainment industry by storm upon its debut in January 2015. Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, this captivating show quickly became a cultural phenomenon, leaving an indelible mark on television history. Let’s explore the immense success Empire achieved and the factors that propelled it to new heights.
Empire burst onto the scene with impressive ratings, captivating nearly 10 million viewers in its premiere episode. As the Lyon family’s saga unfolded, the show’s viewership soared, reaching a staggering 17.3 million viewers for its season finale. Consistently maintaining high viewership throughout its six-season run, Empire cemented its status as one of Fox’s most-watched series.
